This is where Mercy Wings International (MWI) shines, by using aircraft to speed ministry workers to their destinations saving days of travel.  One such place is the municipality of Jutiapa.  Located 90 nm east of Quetzaltenango, and run by the Guatemalan military.  the strip is 1000 meters long and in a narrow valley, with only the first 700 meters  useable.  In order to land at this airstrip you must first contact the military 12 hours in advance and again prior to departing your base and announcing an estimated time of arrival (ETA).  These measures ensure soldiers clear the strip of cows that graze at the edges and surprises.  We are favored of the Lord to have the base commander graciously authorize our operations.

Onboard this trip is Mr. Pedro Garcia who is the LWT Bible Institute extension school coordinator.  This mission is to coordinate the placement of two Bible teachers at this location.  One will remain in Jutiapa and the other will be transported by car to nearby Jalapa.  Air transportation by MWI will save 20 hours of travel time for our extension school teachers; in this fashion time is more efficiently used.  Also, in the aircraft are Dany Mejia, LWT's director of special projects, Mauricio Bartlett, an MWI associate and expert on Guatemala aviation, and finally Chuck Martinez, pilot-in-command, and MWI director.

Here's the flight log.

Our group departed Quetzaltenango at 8:10 local, carrying four on board, 56 gallons of fuel, at a takeoff weight of 3400 lbs.  Climbing to 10,500 MSL to clear the Alaska checkpoint the visibility was slightly hazy.  The course set was direct to Guatemala City at a slow decent to to 8,500.  On this course line we passed mountain to villages, volcanic lake, and kept tabs on the line of volcano that stretches between Quetzaltenango and La Aurora International airport (MGGT).  The City of Antigua is the last check point and is about 15nm southwest of MGGT; it is here you enter briefly the control zone of La Aurora Tower.  We were briefly vectored to clear commercial jetliners departing and then allowed to proceed on course to Jutiapa 38nm over another volcanic mountain range and east.

We did not have precise coordinates for the GPS only the city location with a map indicating the runway, 3km southwest of the city.  Very different from the tropical north of Guatemala, and the Lush green of west, Jutiapa has the look of an Arizona desert.  After a low pass to determine the condition and useable parts of the strip, I set up a standard pattern with the approach to land about 015 deg magnetic.  The approach and departure was comfortably clear of obstacles.

The airstrip composition is packed earth, good and level, with some crushed cinder in places; overall very useable.  We taxied back to the only intersection, here soldiers awaited our arrival.  The black top intersection is actually a helicopter marshalling area and not a runway.  We arrived with 40 gallons of fuel after 54 minutes of flight time, all within 1 gallon and 3 minutes of what was planned.  After handshakes, coordination's, and a short tour of the base headquarters, we returned to the black intersection and conducted pre-flight check for departure.

Next stop La Aurora (MGGT) and fuel.  I set a course to position the aircraft south of MGGT to intercept the runway in use (at that moment), RWY 01.  About 18 nm out the runway direction change and so did my plan.  Now on a northerly heading,  parallel to and east of MGGT, we were one mountain range over following a valley.  A left turn and a few small ridges later we were 5 mile final and clear to land RWY19.  With full tanks, flight plan in hand, and cleared for takeoff we departed MGGT for Quetzaltenango, climbing to 8,500 msl clearing the first mountain range with the city of Chimaltenango in view.

The trip home was uneventful as we retraced our outbound leg, climbing to 10,500.  Just  27 minutes after departing Guatemala City, and across the Alaska check point we were descending into our home valley.  Visibility clear and no other traffic in the vicinity.  Wind was only 2-3 kts and favored landing RWY 23.  after roll-out, we taxied to the runway edge and shut down. Another successful mission complete.

I would tell you about the balked landing from 50 feet above the runway due to a group of indigenous Maya standing in the middle of the touch downzone, but that's another story.......

Just goes to show that you can't let your guard down, be it the first or last landing of the day.