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Jungle pilots, missionaries come to Rumford

RUMFORD – In 1956, Wycliffe Bible Translators linguist Dick Roe of Brewer flew into northern Luzon, the Philippines, to live with the Isnags, a tribe of headhunters. While there, Roe translated the Bible into the tribe’s native language.

This Saturday, Sept. 27, and Sunday, Sept. 28, Lenard “Nard” Pugyao, a member of the tribe who was six when Roe arrived, will be in Rumford giving helicopter rides during Wycliffe’s Jungle Aviation and Radio Service’s Missions-at-the-Airport. The event – to highlight the work of jungle missionary pilots – will be held on Phil Zinck’s airstrip between Route 2 and the Androscoggin River.

Pugyao is one of three other JAARS pilots from Waxhaw, N.C., who will help conduct the third annual public awareness and educational missions event from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, according to JAARS missionary pilot Glen Fergusson.

Pugyao and Dan Miller, who served 16 years in the Philippines as plane and helicopter pilots, will give people rides over the River Valley area in the JAARS Robinson R-44 Raven II chopper for $25 per person.

Miller is the JAARS chief of helicopter operations. Pugyao was recruited by Roe to help with the Bible translation into his tribe’s language, then trained to be a JAARS pilot, according to a new release issued Thursday by JAARS and the Missions-at-the-Airport Committee.

For $20 a person, Fergusson and pilot Mike Mower will fly educational sorties using a Helio Courier Short Take Off and Landing plane used to fly missionaries, supplies, and medicines into remote overseas lands. The plane parked Thursday at Zinck’s field was used in Ecuador and Columbia.

Participants at the two-day event will get the chance to meet and talk with jungle pilots and translators, observe computer and translation demonstrations, learn how technology is serving missions and churches, and discover how to get involved, Fergusson said.

“People can come ride in a real missionary plane with a real missionary pilot,” said Fergusson, who served in Brazil for 10 years and flew missions into the Amazon. “If enough people show up, we’ll do a short takeoff and landing routine that is quite impressive.”

Wycliffe missionary and JAARS New England area coordinator Hal Stone of Wilton, a former chief pilot with JAARS, will also participate in the free event, which features live music, food and special games and activities for children.

Parking will be available on site and at the River Valley Crossing Mall on Route 2. A free shuttle service will be provided.