A testimony:The day before Guatemala was locked down, Robin and I were in the north near the Peten-region in a city called Coban. We were surveying the airstrip there, walking and praying over the location as a possible SGSP Aviation mission base. The U.S. embassy notifies expats via text message that country wide closures were imminent. We hurriedly made the 8-hour drive and arrived back to our home base before …
The Positive Power of Planes
Central American road systems are strikingly limited when compared to the intricate systems that crisscross any-city USA. Stopping the flow of traffic between cities is often used to voice political or civil discontent with government policies. When this occurs, movement between cities and municipalities is impossible. Worse yet, you could find yourself trapped in a miles long line of vehicles unable to move for hours. On the 15th of …
Critical to Safe Flight!
During the return leg of a missionary transport flight, a failure light (L VAC) illuminated on the warning panel of the aircraft I was flying. It indicated that the left vacuum pump (VP) had failed. Briefly explained, the vacuum system keeps gyro instruments spinning to provide accurate attitude readings during flight. Because they are critical to safe flight, two are designed into this aircraft, a primary and backup. As an …
Dedicated to Charlie Martinez, my father (January 1, 1935 – February 28, 2022)
A telephone call from a ministry associate put a series of events into motion on March 8, 2022. A pastor from a small town about an hour from our ministry base in Quetzaltenango had sustained a serious eye injury. Medics at a local clinic determined he would need a hospital and surgery. The capital, Guatemala City, is some 6 hours away. The best option was for a medical transport flight. …
Site Survey Coban
About the middle of August, Chuck & Robin (C&R), SGSP Aviation Ministries International directors spent a morning talking with local pilots trying to get a feel for this 50ft wide by 3300ft long airstrip. The strip has a 3deg upslope with a pretty good kick at one end. Most pilots will opt to land uphill and takeoff downhill as seen in the photo however, given the right wind conditions a …
Taking Care of Our Volunteers
Brian and Deb are retired living in Guatemala but are by no means idle with their time. Here at SGSP Aviation Ministries we appreciate the gift of time and talent. Recently on an SGSP follow up mission between Quetzaltenango and Guatemala City, we invited B&D to ride along and get a look at the western highlands from a vantage point few get to see. Judging from the smiles on their …
A Funny Thing Happened…..
Santiago is just fourteen nautical miles, as the crow fly’s, from Quetzaltenango and Serving God by Serving His People (SGSP) Aviation Ministries mission base. It is one of several municipalities that dot the shore of Lago Atitlan, I’m told each is named after an Apostle from the Bible, (Santiago is James in English). Robin and I took to the sky’s climbing up to 10,500 ft., to clear the ridge between …
Let None Be Forgotten
In the aftermath of tropical storm Eta, the rural people in the northeastern regions of Guatemala begin to take stock of what is left of their lives and livelihoods. These are the fortunate ones. For others, land and mud slides have completely wiped away meager and fragile family dwellings. Their reality is grim. Just hours after the rains subsided, Christian relief organizations began to mobilize, preparing 30 lb. bags of …
Small Step or Giant Leap?
“If the Great Commission is true, our plans are not too big, they are too small.” –Pat Morley Rummaging through the filing cabinet of our missionary commitments, postings, outreaches and sacrifices, Pat Morley’s words could not be more fitting. At one time, it seemed as if our plans were too big, but looking back, we know see them as not big enough. We, Chuck and Robin Martinez (or C & …
Who Are You Working for Anyway?
Many years ago, as a new missionary-pilot, I was also training to become an aircraft mechanic. On the mission field, I must be knowledgeable and well able to manage all the mechanical aspects of the aircraft, in addition to being the pilot. Back then, I was posted at Harvey Young (1H6), a small airstrip in Tulsa OK. While in training, there is always a level of supervision, a safety net …