JAARS Outreach

Brad recently had the opportunity to fly the helicopter during two outreach events with JAARS. Over the Memorial Day weekend, he and about 10 others traveled to the Keswick Center in Whiting, New Jersey. Keswick is a Christian rehab and addiction recovery center that has operated for over 127 years. Every Memorial Day weekend, the center hosts a conference for families and individuals, offering an opportunity to minister to those beyond their recovery programs.

For the past 25 years or so, JAARS has also attended and supported the conference. We gave several talks during sessions (Brad spoke for about 10 minutes during Sunday morning service), and the Land and Sea team performed a couple of water rescue demonstrations. Brad and two other pilots also gave helicopter rides over the four days of the conference. Brad gave 45 rides in four days!

Brad also flew the helicopter to and from New Jersey, battling rain, low cloud ceilings, and poor visibility both ways. On the outbound trip, he was forced to land on a small, private grass runway and leave the helicopter overnight before reaching the Keswick Center the following day. Thankfully, he and the three other passengers found a hotel and didn't have to stay with the helicopter!

This past weekend, Brad flew the helicopter to the Shelby airport west of Charlotte for their annual fly-in. There, he again gave rides to attendees. JAARS charges a small fee for the rides, typically just enough to cover the cost of bringing the helicopter and participating. Brad says it's really fun giving rides to people, many of whom are experiencing their first time in a helicopter. He also mentioned it can be a little exhausting engaging with so many people! Still, it's been a great way for him to work with JAARS and demonstrate what we do with the aircraft overseas to help those in need.

The rest of the family drove to the fly-in as well, allowing everyone to spend time together when Brad wasn't flying. The family even took turns getting helicopter rides with Brad as the pilot!