Sauna On the Moon

Hello everybody. We skated over England's worst rain in twenty years to Scotland where the weather cleared up nicely. We sailed over the Atlantic again in smooth air hoping to fuel in Iceland and get over to Greenland. After a great landing and fast fueling we found that Greenland is closed on Sunday so we hunkered down in Reykjavic for the night. We managed to get out of the city this time and soon found ourselves in the middle of the most barren, desolate, black rocky terrain I have ever seen. As the sun sllooowly sank into the horizon we saw huge columns of steam rising from the geothermal hotspot we were travelling towards to hit the local spa. The Blue Lagoon was full of milky blueish whitish water and tourists from all over. The steam caves were great and we indulged in silica treatments. Nice! The weather looks great for a touchdown on U.S. soil tomorrow at 10:00 A.M. Keep your fingers crossed that the forecast holds.

On the way home

Hi friends, We are in scotland the land of wind and rain. Last night we were in northern spain also very windy and rainy. Somehow we ended up in Santiago Spain. Our plan was to continue on the Ierland,but the prehistoric flight planning department had other ideas. By the time our flight plan was approved the airport we had filed for was closed. By the time we left the airport to go to our hotel we had spent 5 hours in the office. Don't nock the Cameroonians until you check out santiago.Well we are getting plenty of bad weather flying experience.Tommorow we are back in the survival suits for the north Atlantic.We are hopeing to leave for iceland/greenland in the morning. Some how the trip home seems a little longer. We are looking forward to seeing freinds and family back in the good old USA.

on our way out

Today we droped off our new friends in central cameroon and headed for Benin. I was realy Quite an easy day. Yes we hagled with a few officals, but that is old hat by now. We are staying at a nice hotel with a pool and plenty of AC. In the morning we are flying back to the Canary Islands via Mali, 1700 mile and 8 hours of travel.We ahd a woulderful time hepling out the doctors of this most needy of continents. I have to say that a part of me is looking forward to the west. mainly the part that likes clean jet fuel and runways with not goat crap. We will not soon forget the wounderful people we met and the work that they do. I bet the canary islands sounds very good to you folks in Denver. Randy

mbingo

Hi friends and family we are back in Cameroon, this time at the mbingo hospital. We are staying with the sparks family at there home which overlooks an incredable mountain range alive with jungle and watherfalls. This morning Zach and i were asked to watch some surgrey close up in the OR. It took a little reasurance to get zach to agree. What we say was nothing short of amazing. The surgens have to think on their feet. Frequently they begin an operation expecting to find one condition only to find some unexpected once they are on the inside. In the US we tend to know ahead of time do to our access to high tech imaging equipment. After our OR experience we went on a jungle hike to a waterfall. The day finished with a donut party at the sparks house. Randy

It's a bit muddy in the cave

Bongolo sunset

The caves

Our Captor

Hard Labor and Caves

We were awoken yesterday morning at the crack of dawn by Joanna, our gracious hostess at the Bongolo hospital, and made to work in the fields in exchange for our room and board. At first I thought it was no big deal until we saw the enormous bags of banana trees we were forced to plant! See captor in above photo :-) All the holes were dug with machetes and the ripe roots will bear fruit in about a year. If you're in Bongolo, Gabon in December 2010 have a banana on us. After a delicious lunch of Combos and Pringles we headed out to explore some enormous caves under the hospital complex. These things were dark, slippery and extensive. There were three of us whiteys and we hired two flashlightless guides to take us in and back out. We thought the caves would be a short break from the heat and humidity of the jungle, but we were soaked in sweat after fifteen minutes. By the time we got out, the one hundred percent humidity felt refreshing.

A window into African life

village life

Afternoon swim

The Bongolo Hospital

The Dedicated Staff

Today Randy and I toured the hospital grounds after visiting the town on foot. We meandered in for Cokes and said hi to the locals while looking for photo ops. After getting a workout walking up and down the huge hill leading to our accomodations we received the grand tour of the hospital from our wonderful host, Keir. We were amazed at the amount of work Keir and crew have accomplished and the level of service they provide to the Gabonese community they serve. Patients travel up to ten hours by pot-hole filled dirt road to recieve health care from the Bongolo Hospital. We have never seen so many professional physicians dedicated to serving the Gabonese. The only pay off for these guys is the work they perform for their worthy cause. There names from left to right in the photo above are: Keir Thelander, Steve Sparks, and Jim Brown.

Mouila tower this is 654cw 0ver. "juswa dualmam dooba wana". Sorry do you speak English. No parlay vou Engla. Lucky for us Keir one of the American Doctors we have been transporting was aboard and was able to listen and translate landing intructions. After securing the plane for a three day solo stay at the airport, we got into two landcrusers and headed down the dirt road in serch of the legendary hospital in the jungle. Appon arrivel we were greeted by keirs lovley wife Joanna and there two Children Luke and shara.We had a wounderful meal which included Leamongrass tea and homemade ice cream. After dinner zack and i collapsed into bed happy to be hundreds of kilometers from the nearest airport officals.

Peace Out!

Today Randy and I slept in (a little) and went right back to the airport to see how we were going to transfer one hundred gallons from drums to the plane's fuel tanks without getting a bunch of debris inside. No pumps, no lifts, just four guys and Phillip's experience. We decided to clean a bucket and siphon (yuck) the fuel down to a lower level where we could finally lift one drum on top of the other where the entire drum could siphon into the tank. Two hours later (everything takes two hours minimum) we were covered with jet fuel but had completed our mission succesfully. It only took twenty hours to get one hundred gallons of fuel into the plane. After that Randy and I wandered in to the local watering hole for beers. Imagine a tiny convenience store about ten feet away from a street teeming with motorcycles, livestock and pedestrians, enclose the area by the front door with woven grass fencing, plop down four rickety benches and, voila! A Cameroonian bar. Randy and I blended right in with the local barflies. After a heated discussion with some guy who described himself as the Herb Man we found out that the whole bar had been tacking on beers to our account. This was no time to argue so we paid, gave fist pounds and hugs to all and went on our merry way back to the church compound for dinner with our hosts. Tune in tomorrow for more adventures.

Fuel Odyssey

All right you guys. We got up at the crack of dawn from our uplanned stay in Bafoussam and headed over to Ngaoundere through perfectly smooth air. Then the fun began. After being charged and exorbitant amount that equaled all other operating fees in Africa combined so far, we learned the airport had no fuel. We had checked the internet and called ahead and were guaranteed that fuel was here, but, sure enough, once on the ground, we found out the big JETA1 tanks on the field were empty and had been for five years. Our next stop, Libreville, was one hundred fifty gallons away and we only had one hundred gallons left. Luckily, Randy and I were met when we landed by the most resourceful and connected missionary in Cameroon who informed us we could truck in two drims of jet fuel. No problem, right? Wrong. After checking with the local fuel depot and being told they had JetA1 there but we couldn't legally have any, we set off down the highway to the next city to load our oil drums at two P.M. The highway was lined with people, livestock, hut complexes, overtuned trucks, abandoned cargo crates, burning grass, and tasty little sugarless doughnuts that we snacked on with grilled beef. Four hours after setting off down that potholed, narrow highway we arrived at the fuel depot. Four guys came out to clean and fill the drums. We ate dinner and set off in the dark back home. This time there were no people and only a few trucks but we were viewing the landscape like daylight in flahses as we approached a huge series of thunderstorms. As soon as we got close, it started raining sideways and so thick it looked like mist. We made it though, and fell asleep dead at two in the morning. Now we have to somehow get it in the plane.

Hello everyone, we have been out of range for three days now,sorry for that. Lets see, we flew from Ghana back the Gabon to drop off the two African doctors. After some formality and some fuel,we were back in the air on our way to Cameroon. our first stop was Yaounde to clear into the country. The flight was good, but once on the ground we were held captive by an angery woman offical demanding futher payment.She told the guy in the tower to tell us that our next airport was closed and not to depart. After shuting down she walked out and made us pay 18$. Ok let,s try this again. Off to Bafoussam to pick up Steve before it gets to dark. We were the first plane to land there in two months. Our tower controller was in a truck on the side of the runway shouting at motorcycels to get out of the way. We sent the night there which was unplanned but interesting non the less. Cameronn is a very green country with mountains and volcanos.Randy

Today was great, we spent about two hours writing City kids letters in a class room two doors down from where surgeons in training were operating on sqeeling pigs. You can imagin that was a bit distacting. After we had lunch at a nicer typical ghanees restarant. The food was quite good,lots of rice and spice. After we bought some cleaning products at the supermarket which is quite lively, with load music and people rockin to the beat as they shoped. At the airport we went though our typical back and forth about how we don't need this or that and we would like to do it ourselves,which they find stange but allow. Once out on the tarmack we cleaned off the road trip dirt and drained some nasty fuel we think we may have picked up in mali. Tomorrow, we fly to Cammaroon via Gabon and spend three nights there. Thanks for the comments, it is fun for us to share this trip with all of you. Randy

Turtles!!

We had our first real mission today. Randy and I awoke to roosters outside our window which we wanted to kill post-haste. After going out to investigate Randy was terrorized by our host Steve's pet turtle. We were driven to the airport in a downpour where we loaded three passengers into the plane after a laborious fueling process. Two and a half hours later we landed in Accra, Ghana. That felt like a vacation compared to the eight hour days we'd been putting in. And we landed in daylight! The view of Accra below ranged from squalor along the beach to palatial homes surrounded by walls and guarded driveways. We were met by a local contact who whisked us through customs where Randy and I found we didn't need visas due to our flight crew status. Those uniforms are worth their weight in gold. After a quick dinner we settled into our rooms and got ready for a day off with no flying. Another great day filled with learning has come and gone. I hope this message finds you all well . . .

We made it! Gabon Africa. After another long day with the power way back to extend our range,we landed in the dark again. This time however we were welcomed by Steve and Egmomt two pilots assocated this the PAACS. After a very quick trip though immigrations we meet for dinner with some of the doctors we will be transporting around. Tomorow we fly our first mission. One American doctor and two African interns to Ghana to attend a one day conference. After meeting some of people and getting a better idea of the service they provide, i am feeling more confident that our efforts are well placed. I hope all is well you at home. Randy

The truth is it really dose not matter if it's Greenland or Southern Spain,if i have a long flight in front of me i need the right blend of carbs and protein. Thats why i drink mix1. If you find yourself over the ocean with only one engine,you can't beat a mix1 for lond lasting energy. We arrived in mali tonight after a stop in the canary islands. We had our first experience with african airport officals. Everyone was very nice,but you better not be in a hurry. Dinner at 10:30 has become the norm. We were meet at the airport by a friend of another TBM pilot from the states. He helped us though the process and we had dinner with him. Tomorow we fly to Gabon via Benin. We miss all at home and with them the best. Randy

Hello all. Today we flew to Tarbes France to visit the TBM factory. We had a nice fast and mostly clear flight. The decent into Tarbes was full of rain and wind. We were welcomed by two very nice non French tbm empoyees who treated us to lunch and a tour of the factory. After a few hours in the cold rainy france we decided that we should give southern Spain a try. After Zach spent a few minets arguing with the guy at the fight planners office we new we had made the right choice. Were are now in Jerez spain. Tomorow we will enter Africa for the first,spending the night in Mali Wish us luck,we won't want to argue with the African officals.

We are in Ireland, we made it all the way across the Atlantic. Its seems kind of unreal to have flown here on our own. We meet our good friends the Le Saouts for dinner and drinks at the stage Head pub in Dublin. We are off to southern France in the mourning. This is a lot of fun, i could get real used to this.

Halloween in the 'Vic

Well, today was a huge day for us. Up at five in drab Goose Bay, filing flight plans and working with ground crews until seven, then over the Atlantic. After donning our bright, bulky, hot immersion suits and taking the obligatory foto, Randy and I lumbered into the cockpit and set out over open water. The first hour started with an autopilot disconnect in the clouds and finished with some back and forth with air traffic control regarding HF versus VHF radios. After sorting that out we broke out of the clouds just in time for the most beautiful scenery while approaching a runway that Randy and I have ever seen. Glaciers, fjords, volcanic mountains, we did it all. After taking on fuel in Narsarsuaq, we continued the flight to Reykjavic where we discovered that Halloween is not as big a deal as we had been led to believe. We were greeted by the colorful rooftops and modern architecture of the city, though, and Randy supped on delicious mussel foam (blech!) and lobster. The next time you're in Reykjavic stick with the steak and potatoes :-)

Well we made it to Goose Bay. The morning srarted out with a send off form Nicole and the kids at 7am. After that Zach and i spent An hour trying to shovel out the plane. Once in the air we faced major headwinds,but finally made it to Winnipeg. A quick trip to subway and we were back in the air for a 1400nm trip to Goose bay. It is just as cold here as is in Dever. Tomorow is the big leap over the icy north atlantic.

Wow only two days until takeoff time, it is snowing like mad in Denver so it is hard to picture Africa. If you would like to see our poistion as we move along you can see at http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0E4DxcxbYYUzNuKNojubmcKh9XjrtxcGb (must copy and paste the link into a new browser to view). Give it a try if you would. Right now it should just show two spots in Denver. Randy

Hello and welcome to African Odyssey by Air. Randy Luskey and Zackary Huston have cooked up an ambitious plan to fly a single engine turboprop TBM850, six seater airplane to Gabon Africa and back. We are doing this for the flying adventure and to support efforts of the of Pan African Academy of Christain Doctors. Once we arrive in Gabon we will fly teaching doctors around the west African region. Our trip is scheduled to leave from Denver Colorado on October 30th 2009. Please check in from time to time to share in the adventure.