Pilot a mentor for students

GLACIER VALLEY — Dwayne King’s passion for aviation and spreading the gospel has influenced many young people in the Glacier View School community.

It’s said a student’s participation and success in scholastic endeavors will only help him or her in the future, but just as important to a student’s success are the skills they learn in their schools, communities, or through extracurricular activities. King has fostered these skills by including them in his daily operations at Kingdom Air Corp., a training facility for missionary pilots, and by giving students opportunities to fly, be dependable and work with diverse groups of people.

Four Glacier View High School students have benefited from King’s influence, two are considering jobs in aviation and two have worked as counselors at a bible camp.

Joe, a senior and student pilot, makes the 20-minute drive down to Kingdom Air Corp. several times a week to fly, weather permitting.

“I always wanted to fly, but Dwayne inspired me and made it possible,” Joe said.

It’s not hard to see why King is so inspiring to these young adults at Glacier View because he radiates a charisma that is enthusiastic and passionate for people, aviation, missions and, most of all, for the Lord.

This past summer, three students had the opportunity to join King in his ministry at Brooks Range Bible Camp. In early July, about seven bush planes flew 375 miles across the Arctic Circle to BRBC, located at a gold mine called Paradise Valley, which is about 30 miles north of Bettles.

From there they fly in children, primarily from Anuktuvak Pass, to stay at the week-long camp. At BRBC, students worked as counselors, interacting with kids and developing lasting relationships they still maintain.

Tiffany, a freshman whose desire is to be a missionary, has counseled at BRBC for two years.

“It helped me see what I could do in the future,” Tiffany said.

This experience has also broadened their horizons.

“It was a little stressful at first, but it really gave me the opportunity to work with different personalities and a different culture,” said Miranda, a Glacier View sophomore who has been a counselor at BRBC for three summers said.

Participation in aviation missions at Brooks Range inspired Carlen, a freshman, to pursue flying and his pilot’s license.

Carlen is presently working toward his private pilot’s license by learning basic aviation procedures and has already logged 10 hours of flight time.

“Without Dwayne, flying wouldn’t be something I would be interested in,” Carlen said.

After high school, he hopes to pursue a career with an airline.

Joe has soloed on three different occasions. His first solo was June 11 in Palmer in two different Bush planes.

“I was thinking over everything Dwayne had taught me, trying not to get nervous,” Joe said of his first experience as a solo pilot.

He successfully landed and has soloed on two other occasions at Kingdom Air Corp. Joe has earned about 40 hours of air time, the amount required for a private pilot’s license. The minimum age to acquire a private pilot’s license is 17. Until then, Joe said he will continue to gain experience because Kingdom Air Corp. has inspired him to be active in both rural and mountainous mission flying.

Christopher Martin and Jenny Lee are students at Glacier View School and contributors to the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman Schools section.