Grand Junction, Colorado … It all started when Bernie Hartnell was on his nap mat during his preschool days, imagining wings that could fly him away from nap time since he hated taking naps. As the son of a pastor, Bernie often thought of his angel and the wings that might be in a drawer ready for his use.

After being raised in the Northwest, he eventually sought a career in healthcare.  In 1976, he was a nurse making $2.80 per hour and living with his parents.  He prioritized his money and time to take flying lessons twice a week.  It was quite an expense at $30 per hour, but his living expenses were lower at that time of his life so he could pursue his passion.

His love of flying took a back seat with the responsibility of marriage and two daughters.  But he was eventually able to reconnect with his piloting dreams and found that building his own aircraft, takes only one-fifth of the money.  He chose a VAN’s RV14A model sold by an Aurora, Oregon company. With his wife Marty by his side helping with the engineering plans, and with good mentors who could answer his questions, he was able to build the aircraft in four and a half years. Altogether, it took 5,000 hours to complete the job. As an involved member of the Grand Junction Church, he felt it necessary to take a break when the responsibilities of chairing the building committee for the new church building in Grand Junction took a year of his time.

As he worked on the aircraft, his appreciation for flying was heightened, seeing all the details and “how without the bolt holding the cotter pin, the rudder won’t work. All the pieces work together,” he observed.  He connected this with the way humans are made to work.  “One part [of the body] can’t work without other parts and if you abuse any part, there will be ramifications,” he said.

When talking with Bernie about his experience, he shared that he rode motorcycles, but “wanted something safer to travel.” Thus, the airplane. Marty adds that theirs was a “once in a lifetime experience.”

Flying helps him look down on earth with a new set of eyes. He often sees evidence of the flood, stirring up even more musings and convictions about God and about life.  He and Marty flew 150 hours last year to enjoy God’s creation, to visit family on the East Coast, and to help with various Maranatha Volunteers International projects. They feel blessed to be able to fly, and “hobbies allow you to talk to people,” Bernie adds.

He often asks himself this question about his love for flying, “Do I have as much passion for Jesus Christ?”  A great question for us all!

—Karla Klemm; photos supplied by Bernie Hartnell