The Kelly Johnson Skunk Works at Lockheed produced “purpose-built” airplanes like the U-2. If you could describe what you wanted an airplane to do, the Skunk Works could produce it for you.
Burt Rutan also produced purpose-built aircraft. His brother, Dick Rutan, asked if Burt could design/build an aircraft that could fly around the world non-stop without refueling. Burt said, “I can build it, but you won’t like the way it flies.” Dick agreed. Burt built the Voyager and Dick and Jeana Yeager made the flight in 1986. You can see the Voyager today at the Smithsonian. As far as I know, it has not flown at all since the world flight. Now that’s a purpose-built aircraft.
Recently, I visited a purpose-built airport. All airports are purpose-built, of course, but this one was rather unique.
Cameron Townsend Airport in Waxhaw, N.C., exists to help JAARS in its mission to translate Bibles into native tongues over a wide area of the world. Cameron Townsend founded JAARS in Peru in 1948. According to JAARS, aviation doesn’t make Bible translation easier, it makes it possible.
JAARS originally stood for Jungle Aviation and Radio Service, but today JAARS just means JAARS which is now based in Waxhaw, N.C.
Henderson Belk, son of the founder of Belk Department Stores and a preacher himself, donated hundreds of acres to JAARS in Waxhaw, and it is a beautiful place. Some 600 or more people work there as employees and volunteers. They have a cafeteria at which I had the pleasure of eating a delicious, bargain-price lunch. I wish they’d open a chain restaurant!
JAARS overhauls and rebuilds their own aircraft and engines — including piston airplanes, turbine airplanes and at least one helicopter — and also provides service for other aircraft owners. They have a spotless operation including an avionics shop and an engine shop and close relations with the FAA. A young JAARS engineer showed us how they use 3-D printing to replace cargo tie-down anchors in the aircraft. They make them of plastic — not legal for aircraft — then use the plastic parts to create molds which they use to make legal metal parts. I was impressed.
JAARS works with many other missionary aviation groups. This year IAMA (International Association of Missionary Aviation) will hold its annual conference at the JAARS facility June 8 through 10. It will be quite a gathering with speakers and educators. The speakers will include Jay Hopkins — many of us remember Jay for his writing in Flying magazine—and that previously mentioned JAARS engineer who will explain how JAARS uses 3-D printing. I’m very proud to say that I spoke for IAMA back in the 1990s.
I was very impressed with JAARS, the operation, the campus and, of course, the cafeteria. Most of all, though, I was impressed with the friendly pride with which they introduced me to JAARS. They are great at explaining the worth of their airport and JAARS. If you ever get the chance to visit JAARS — Waxhaw is just south of Charlotte — you’d probably enjoy it just as much as I did.
About the Author
Ralph Hood
Certified Speaking Professional
Ralph Hood is a Certified Speaking Professional who has addressed aviation groups throughout North America. A pilot since 1969, he's insured and sold airplanes at retail and distributor levels and taught aviation management for Southern Illinois University.
Ralph Hood is also an award-winning columnist (he writes for several publications), a salesman and sales manager (he sold airplanes, for crying out loud!), a teacher (he taught college-level aviation management) and a professional public speaker who has entertained and enlightened audiences from Hawaii to Spain, and from Fairbanks to Puerto Rico.
- Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), National Speakers Association
- Past member, National Ethics Committee, National Speakers Association
- Past president of Alabama Speakers Association
- Member, Alabama Aviation Hall of Fame
- Past National Marketing Mentor, AOPA Project Pilot