Just a quick post tonight! Tuesday night's are Heather's night out, when she meets up with some of the other MMS wives. (Coincidently that also means that all across Coshocton there are MMS men with their feet up watching programmes involving petrol / cars / garage experiments / police chases!!)
The week just gone has been one of settling into a routine; I have settled into my routine for getting out to work in the morning, and home again in the afternoon, Abi and Matthew are settling onto their routine of doing a bit of home-school-work in the mornings, and Heather is settling into her routine of coordinating the rest of us!!
Our furniture from Scotland is now all in it's new positions and the boxes have been unpacked - the house here is well and truly feeling like our home.
My work at the hanger is going really well. I am enjoying the hands on work, learning new skills and refreshing my memory on some things I haven't done since my days at the Nautical college in Glasgow! The last few work days have been working at the welding bench, brushing up on basic skills with the gas welding gear, finishing up today with a tube cluster (one piece of pipe, with 3 other pipes joining it at 45, 90, and 135 degrees). Unfortunately I didn't have my camera at work today, so you will just have to take my word that I passed that exercise, and have now finished my basic training! As of tomorrow morning I will be in the "Primary" phase of training, working on aeroplanes under the supervision of one of the MMS staff. The primary phase will probably last for the next 12 - 18 months, and after that I will move into "Production training" where I will be given more responsibility, whilst still learning under supervisors.
While I am in the Primary phase I will be carrying on with my study at home; tonight's job (much as I am tempted with the full reign of the tv whilst Heather is out!) is to finish reading up on the Maths chapter ready for a test later in the week. Long division took a wee while to get my head back around, but it has all clicked back into place now! That said, I have no intentions of selling my calculator just yet!!
Thanks for your interest, and if you want to see a short video of the Asas de Socorro plane I mentioned last week, doing some taxi trials and engine run yesterday, follow the link below!
A
Wednesday, 26 January 2011
Sunday, 16 January 2011
Started at MMS!
The last couple of weeks of weeks have seen my pace of life change a little bit! I have gone from very flexible working hours based at home, to a 7:30 start at the hanger, with a regimented routine to each day. The getting-out-of-bed-on-time bit has taken a little while to re-adjust to, but I am loving being back in a more traditional work routine for the first time since last summer!
As you will know if you have been following our story so far, last summer saw me leave my job in Scotland to start work with www.maf-uk.org . Although I came from a technical background, I had never worked on aircraft before, so I needed to retrain and qualify as an aircraft engineer before MAF could have me serving in one of their field programmes.
Enter www.mmsaviation.org who partner with MAF-UK to provide training for prospective aircraft engineers. We moved to Coshocton last November, spent the last few months of 2010 settling into our new home and lifestyle on the other side of the Atlantic, and then on 3rd January I started work at the hanger! (You may have seen the “new school uniform” picture a couple of posts back!) It was very exciting to be finally starting in the role that we have focused so much of our thoughts on for the last few years! I was even able to maintain that excitement right through a day of counting nuts and bolts, as the first day back after the Christmas break is traditionally the stock check and inventory day. It was actually a really good opportunity to find my way around the store system, work out where everything was kept and try to get my head around some of the part numbers…
Counting nuts... 
Safety wire
Within “mission aviation” we have to work within all the regulations laid out by various authorities, but we are also conscious of our responsibilities as stewards of all that God has given us. This gives an added incentive to do everything we do “with all our heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters”. This is visibly obvious when you look at the Cessna 206 which MMS have been working on for some time now. It will soon be completed and sent off to work on the Amazon with www.asasdesocorro.org.br , and it is looking great! This is the view from my basic training bench this week, right under this plane’s tail, and it is a real incentive for me to do a good job when I see what I am working towards.
Thursday night saw our shipment from the UK arrive, so we had a great day on Friday rebuilding flat packs (and improvising our way around some missing bolts!) and unpacking all our stuff from Scotland. The kids had Christmas number 2 as they opened boxes of their toys, and Heather and I can relax safe in the knowledge that we once again have enough teaspoons! Our new home is really feeling like home again now… I am sure Heather will be updating you all on that soon!
Thank you all for your interest in what we are doing, and for the many ways you are supporting us while we are over here.
A
As you will know if you have been following our story so far, last summer saw me leave my job in Scotland to start work with www.maf-uk.org . Although I came from a technical background, I had never worked on aircraft before, so I needed to retrain and qualify as an aircraft engineer before MAF could have me serving in one of their field programmes.
Enter www.mmsaviation.org who partner with MAF-UK to provide training for prospective aircraft engineers. We moved to Coshocton last November, spent the last few months of 2010 settling into our new home and lifestyle on the other side of the Atlantic, and then on 3rd January I started work at the hanger! (You may have seen the “new school uniform” picture a couple of posts back!) It was very exciting to be finally starting in the role that we have focused so much of our thoughts on for the last few years! I was even able to maintain that excitement right through a day of counting nuts and bolts, as the first day back after the Christmas break is traditionally the stock check and inventory day. It was actually a really good opportunity to find my way around the store system, work out where everything was kept and try to get my head around some of the part numbers…
Counting nuts...
Since then my time has been spent with Chuck working through a “Basic training” phase where I am reviewing basic shop skills, hand tool techniques etc. Understandably no-one is too keen on giving me a rivet gun, showing me to someone else’s shiny aeroplane and leaving me to it, so the start of my training at MMS involves a bit of time making sure the basics are right. I have really enjoyed this last couple of weeks, learning lots of new skills as I have never really been involved in any sheet metal work before. I also realise that some things are like riding a bike, and are just the same as they were when I was at college in Glasgow! (Spanners are still spanners, even if they call them wrenches over here!) The last 4 years of my career have been based in an office, so it has been good to spend the beginning of 2011 “getting my eye in” again.
Measure twice, cut once...
There are very few things on an aircraft that you would want to have drop off after you leave the ground. Over the years the industry and Aviation Authorities have developed all sorts of standards, regulations and best practice to ensure that this doesn’t happen, so another significant spell of time during basic training is spent looking at these standards, where they are found, and some practical exercises on securing fasteners, safety wiring, and how to do it all correctly.
Safety wire
I also have some nice thick text books to be working my way through in the evenings. I am scheduled for an end of chapter test every 10 days or so, which should see me finishing all the theory training about midway through my apprenticeship (1 test down, 45 to go!) This is obviously an important part of the training, and balances the very practical training I will be doing during the day.
The Books!
Within “mission aviation” we have to work within all the regulations laid out by various authorities, but we are also conscious of our responsibilities as stewards of all that God has given us. This gives an added incentive to do everything we do “with all our heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters”. This is visibly obvious when you look at the Cessna 206 which MMS have been working on for some time now. It will soon be completed and sent off to work on the Amazon with www.asasdesocorro.org.br , and it is looking great! This is the view from my basic training bench this week, right under this plane’s tail, and it is a real incentive for me to do a good job when I see what I am working towards.
Asas de Socorro Cessna 206
Thursday night saw our shipment from the UK arrive, so we had a great day on Friday rebuilding flat packs (and improvising our way around some missing bolts!) and unpacking all our stuff from Scotland. The kids had Christmas number 2 as they opened boxes of their toys, and Heather and I can relax safe in the knowledge that we once again have enough teaspoons! Our new home is really feeling like home again now… I am sure Heather will be updating you all on that soon!
Thank you all for your interest in what we are doing, and for the many ways you are supporting us while we are over here.
A
Sunday, 9 January 2011
Abi and Matthew's hospital update.
Matthew had a check up on his heart murmur at Akron Children's hospital. One reading came back a little abnormal (but in a small percentage of kids that's expected) and the doctor thought he could hear a second murmur also, so he suggested an ultrasound. Everything came back all clear and his heart murmur is a normal one. Matthew was very good and lay still for 20 minutes while they did the ultra-sound! I know that was the power of prayer!
The ENT specialist looked at Abi and she has very enlarged tonsils. Although they are not infected they are restricting her airways causing her to snore and be a mouth breather. The doctor would like to take them out so we are going to schedule the operation for March some time when the snow is more unlikely! It is a 45 minute operation and she gets home the same day. She is very excited about the prospect of lots of ice-cream and lollies! I had my tonsils out when I was 13 and can still remember the pain. I pray her enthusiasm will continue till March!
Thanks for the prayers. It was a long and quite stressful day travelling to an unknown place. I was very grateful to Esther who came along with me and helped to navigate and look after one of the children while I saw the doctor with the other.
The ENT specialist looked at Abi and she has very enlarged tonsils. Although they are not infected they are restricting her airways causing her to snore and be a mouth breather. The doctor would like to take them out so we are going to schedule the operation for March some time when the snow is more unlikely! It is a 45 minute operation and she gets home the same day. She is very excited about the prospect of lots of ice-cream and lollies! I had my tonsils out when I was 13 and can still remember the pain. I pray her enthusiasm will continue till March!
Thanks for the prayers. It was a long and quite stressful day travelling to an unknown place. I was very grateful to Esther who came along with me and helped to navigate and look after one of the children while I saw the doctor with the other.
Thursday, 6 January 2011
Off To Work!
Well the day finally arrived for Andy to start in the MMS hanger! Usually Abi wakes us early every morning but as Andy has to be out of the house by 7.15am we need something a little more predictable. Andy has really enjoyed being in the hanger. His new uniform even has his name sewn on all of his shirts!
We returned from North Carolina last week to a little pile of mail. Thank you for the lovely Christmas cards and encouraging notes. It was great to hear some Pitlochry voices on the phone (Fergus and Christine!) on Monday and today we have had three skype calls from Scotland. My apologies to all those who are more interested in the goings on in the MMS hanger than my little "cook-a-thons" at home. :0) Andy will write the next blog post and you can hear of his news first hand. 
I have been adjusting to my new life of home alone with the children all day again. It is wonderful to have time to play with the kids, do a little home schooling each day and keep the house tidy. I am really enjoying trying out new recipes and have so far made Chicken Korma, chilli, lasagna, among others without a jar in sight! Today we made fresh bread (the most successful yet - thanks Jenny), chocolate chip cookies, and pizza from scratch. The clean up takes a lot longer with two little helpers but it was worth it to see them eating their creations!
We know our shipment has arrived in America but according to the Internet it hasn't cleared customs yet. I was at a friends Lia Sophia Jewelery party on Monday night and am going to host one in my house on the 18th of Feb. I thought it would be a good opportunity to invite the new people I am meeting to our house - a house warming party with a little more sparkle! I just hope our shipment has arrived or they may be bringing a chair each!
We were back at church on Sunday and enjoyed a Southern Gospel Quartet who were visiting Coshocton. The southern accent is more difficult to understand and there were a few moments where the people around us erupted laughing, and Andy and I had knew we had missed the joke! Never mind, we enjoyed the music!
On friday Abi and Matthew both have appointments at the Children's hospital in Akron. Esther, another MMS apprentice wife is going to come with me for the day to help with the navigation and childminding along the way! Abi's appointment is at 10am and Matthew's appointment is at 12.30pm. (We are five hours behind the UK) I believe Akron is over an hour's drive away from our house. There is snow forecast tomorrow evening so I am praying the roads will be clear and safe to allow us to make the appointments. We will keep you posted on the outcome.
Happy New Year to all
love from the Swanson's x
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