Finally got the overhauled rudder for the Cessna 185 painted to match the rest of the plane.  Now have it boxed up and ready to head out and install the rudder.  Once that is accomplished and the plane is airworthy again I am planning to do more Indava Bird research.  Hopefully two weeks of researching in the area where all this first was reported by Duane Hodgekinson back in 1944.  I will be within 20 miles of Umboi Island where back in March 2017 loggers reported scaring up a creature that flew over them around noon time.   It would good to get a daylight sighting.

With my only evidence being the bioluminence video taken at night there is nothing in the way of morphology to determine the actual shape of body and wings.  I would be satisfied at this point in my research to photograph a Mega Bat, something seen in daylight!

I will report more as things develop.  I will be out of communications for almost the two weeks.

Jim Blume has been a vital part of the expeditions going into Papua New Guinea in search of the large flying creature called  “indava”. In fact we were told of another day light occurrence on the island of Umboi 2 months ago. Loggers appeared to have spooked one up around noon as it flew over their logging area.

Jim has been a missionary pilot flying the jungles area of the central highlands since 1969. Jim and his red and white Cessna 185 bush plane are famous for the mercy medical flights he has made when nothing else was available. In fact the first year I saw the plane tied down in the middle of the grass field and the end of the grass runway I thought ” no way can this plane survive” I was sure that “rascals”, the local name for vandals, would surely destroy the plan. However Jim told me that through all the years no trouble has occurred from the locals because the head outlaws in the area know Jim will fly them to the hospital in Lae just like he would any other medical emergency. So for all these years this has worked. Until last month someone chopped the rudder with a machete and made it unairworthy.

I am trying to raise the funding to but a replacement rudder for Jim. The current cost for the rudder I have found that will bolt right on the plane is $1700.00. I looked into making a field repair but was warned not to try as the rudder needs to in a jig to prevent any warping, as too not cause possible control flutter at high speeds.

If you would like to help with the cost you can send through to me paypal or if you need a tax receipt I can send you through my local church or send donation to the Creation Evidence Museum of Texas tagged for “Jim Blume aiplane”

Thanks for any help you might be able to give and please spread the word about this need.

Paul Nation           Jim’s plane is the red and white bush plane seen in some of the pictures on this site.

Of course if this works out I will be able to spend a couple of weeks researching a new area! I plan on handcarry  the rudder through customs and installing it. Then off to the jungle for two weeks.