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My father, Fay Henry Smith records the activities of 1 day as a Bush Pilot based in Lodja, Democratic Republic of the Congo. 1971-1985
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Details
My father, Fay Henry Smith records the activities of 1 day as a Bush Pilot based in Lodja, Democratic Republic of the Congo. 1971-1985
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My father, Fay Henry Smith records the activities of 1 day as a Bush Pilot based in Lodja, Democratic Republic of the Congo. 1971-1985
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And this tape is the record of one day of flying activity, November 21st, 1972. It indicates some of the frustrations of flying here, how schedules change, how one is continually concerned about weather changes, how the work on the ground is much more difficult than the flying part, and also how the life of a missionary includes responsibilities in addition to those of being a pilot. It's one of the more dramatic days as far as flying is concerned, and I hope that it will help to interpret what the life of a missionary pilot is like. You are going to go on a flight with a bush pilot over the jungles of Africa. What am I doing right now? I am pouring water from a galvanized tail into a sink. It's cold water, too. And it came out of a cistern because our water system isn't working. And our cistern pump isn't working either, but I have new levers. It is 9 o'clock in the morning, and I am about to shave. And I got up at 6 o'clock this morning. The first thing I did was to get ready to teach at the Pastors Bible School, a course in biblical vocabulary. And the workers here always come about 6 o'clock in the morning, so I got them going. The guy who works on the airplane gasses it up. And the cook. And then the class. So the next thing I did was to go to the radio at the plane and get the weather for Kananga and Rwambunyama. I am going to both of those places this morning. The weather at both places is fine, but it's bad here. There is rain in various places and thunderstorms in the area. So I have another appointment to call Rwambunyama and Kananga at 9.30. Next thing I did was to go teach the class. Then I came back here, and I had breakfast. I just finished up. Many times there are a million interruptions of people who want to go to Kananga or Rwambunyama, but I don't have room for them. That's always the case. And I'm giving priority to three medical cases, or rather two medical cases, and the husband of one of them who has to go to Kananga. One is a heart patient, and the other has a mangled hand that was injured in a motorbike accident. So that's the purpose of my time today. This shading business here is somehow guesswork because we have no electricity in the daytime. Electricity is from 6 to 10 at night. Consequently, when the sun is opposite from the window, you have dark spots. Dark spots we have to guess at the sideburns and whiskers and feel them. It's shading with cold water by feel. That's just one of the inconveniences of being here. There are lots of other advantages. None of the sites today are emergencies. They're just regular medical cases. I had two emergencies Sunday. Both of them expected more. There's one who was about to abort at seven months, and another who was ready to go to the hospital. And many of our sites here are for medical reasons. I'm back on Kananga. I'm going to go see the dentist myself. I've got three or four cavities, and a bridge has got to come out and be replaced because it had cavities underneath it. We even have lifeguard here. We may not have that wall, but we've got lifeguard, fortunately. And we've got Colbert's Toothpaste, too. We even have a comb to comb the hair with. You know, that's one funny thing. It's hard to buy combs around here. I had to pay 60 cents for a comb when I was in Kinshasa. Most everybody around here uses brushes. I have a different kind of hair. I've got long, brown hair, not the indigenous type, so I have to find a comb someplace. I don't know where Steve went. I heard him. Right now, I'm picking up the atmosfasion for the reservation for the plane, and I'm getting the mail. I'm sorting it out to go to the proper places. Most of it's for going to the United States, going to China, going to Umbara, going to America to Namibia. And the money. I'm always carrying money for people. The banking system here isn't as advanced as it is in the States, so I have a little book. My briefcase that I use to sign in the money, and then when people get it, they sign off. And that's one of the detours that you don't think about when you say you're going to be a bush pilot. The big hassle in being a bush pilot is the groundwork. It isn't the flying. The flying is fun, but it's getting everything where it should go. Without forgetting the big problem, all the money and all the letters and all the messages and all that kind of stuff. Really, being a bush pilot is a matter of being a communicator between the people on the mission stations and the leadership of the Zarabat Church and so on. I'm very dependent upon air service for the transport of money, of a bootstrap, and the transport of letters and messages and so on. Right now, Sal is having half of a season because she teaches him every morning. He doesn't want to come in for his schooling. Here's a book I'm going to take with me. If I get a chance to do some reading, I'm reading Daniel Berrigan's Absurd Convictions, Man of Totes. And I've got my shaving kit. I've got some extra clothes. I've got my mask. I think that's about everything I need to take with me. So, I'll see you tomorrow. Good-bye, sweetie. Good-bye. Oh, what about the radio? Nobody ever told me. Ebbie's going to be on. Yeah, but I mean, when do I ever get in touch with you again? Tomorrow morning at 7.30. I'm not running out of time. Okay, I will check with you at 1 o'clock before the Overtail Project. Before? Yeah. So, that would be, what would it be? 1 o'clock. Yeah, okay. Okay. Good-bye. Good-bye. Good-bye. Good-bye. Good-bye. Good-bye. Good-bye. Oh, okay. I've got a sack. I've got a sack for Rambo. Ah. Thank you. For the plane. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Great. Great. Thank you. I think the passengers are on the plane. Really? Yes. I don't know. Okay. Thank you.
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