Greetings from smoky Alaska,
We have 117 forest fires around Alaska in progress, many not even
being fought as they present no risk to life or buildings. I’ve been
flying in zero-zero smoke sometimes and quarter mile visibility in
Fairbanks. We have some fires only 20 miles from Fairbanks. A
Christian family is staying in our guesthouse since they evacuated
from the fire very close to their home on Haystack Mountain. It’s
one of the worst fire seasons on record, with over 4 million acres
burned. http://fire.ak.blm.gov
In spite of the fires we were able to get all the campers to Kako
Bible Camp and Rock Crossing Bible Camp on time and missionaries in
and out of their villages. But some flights were uncomfortable,
departing in serious smoke in instrument flying conditions, flying
for three hours at altitudes between 12,000 and 14,000 feet above
the smoke, and never seeing the ground once until we landed because
of thick smoke. On the upside, I think even the mosquitoes have
taken cover.
A new couple has started to attend the village ministry --Manley
Baptist Fellowship--and plan to stay. More of the teens in Sunday
school are staying for the AM service as well.
Hangar recent developments. Just two weeks before I was to start
putting in the slab for the hangar at a smaller airport one mile
from Fairbanks International Airport, a Christian man with a
business at FAI approached me with a novel idea. I have parked the
plane on his property for at least a decade, and he has always sold
me aviation fuel at his cost, saving me about a dollar a gallon. He
plans to build a new hangar himself for his business next to his
existing buildings and would need to put up a separate metal
building 70’ away for insurance reasons for the boilers to heat his
big hangar. He has proposed to put up my hangar next summer and put
the boiler in my hangar, still leaving me room for my plane. He
would run the water lines and electricity to it and give me two
parking spaces for extra planes by the hangar plus continue to sell
me fuel at his cost. Then for the next 110 years, he would pay all
the airport lease fees, taxes, utility bills, and plow all the snow.
This will more than take care of our need and is a good deal for
both of us, saving him the expense of having to buy his own steel
building. This would also allow me to conduct instrument-only flight
in snow, fog, and smoke. The smaller airport does not have the
necessary navigational aids. Therefore, had I built there, I would
not have been able to fly during the smoky conditions of the camp
weeks. In addition, I would have my own gate in the security fence,
enabling me to drive right to my plane to unload passengers and gear
without hassle.
Thank you for your prayers and support.
Your “Far North Flying Chaplain”,
Les Zerbe
SOURDOUGH SAM
SEZ:
“I wonder if the Lord God of heaven
would create a no smoking ban
like the city council has?”
