In Ghana, Santa has been giving inspirations to the CH701 building ladies of WAASPS and Medicine on the Move.

Consideration was given to renaming the the aircraft as 'Metal Sleigh', for, afterall, both the Wooden Sleigh of the red-coated-white-bearded aviator (Reindeer powered, of course), have great similiarities....

1. STOL capabilities - both can operate very short.  Any 701 pilot will tell you that 'if they have to they can operate from a roof top.... and believe you me, if it were legal, we probably would!

2. VFR flight - both Santa and the 701 pilot love VFR flight - both machines excel even with minimal instrumentations...

3. Quiet engines.... a lot of 701s are flying with Rotax engines (ours are) - and we know that at 1000' we are practically un-hear-able - just like the magical flight of the sleigh...

4. Long range - using extended range tanks, the 80hp engine and careful engine power management, the 701 can stay airborne 10 hours or cover a range of well over 1200km, without needing to top the reindeer!

5. Simple and robust construction.  The Sleigh is built and maintained in tough conditions - the pole.  Access to spares and engineering facilities is not easy - just like in West Africa (but it is warmer in West Africa).  The simple and robust construction techniques for the sleigh are implemented by little people without prior exposure to extensive aeronautical studies.... it is the same for the 701 in West Africa, where it is the young women from the rural areas without extensive educational access, who are building, maintaining and flying the CH701... 

6. Load carrying capability:  The sleigh carrys a lot of goodies, as does the CH701.... using the new Bag Drop system, developed by WAASPS and Medicine on the Move, it is possible to make health education materials supply drops to up to 100 communities on one flight.... or to over 500 with the 801 (soon to fly in West Africa!).

7. Optional Lighting: We hear that the sleigh does not meet FAA standards, being equipped with only one permanently light mainly front showing red light (attached to the nose of 'Engine Rudolf' - however the 701 can be equipped with fully FAA compliant lighting...

In 2012 the MoM 701 and 801 will be delivering health education materials to many communities, and, if you would like to make a seasonal contribution to the work of the young people in West Africa, and to help us to get that 801 on to floats, please visit http://www.medicineonthemove.org/ and http://www.medicineonthemove.org/ and read some more, and if you are convinced, clink on that donate button - it will change even more lives, one flight at a time...

Seasons Greeting to all our Zenith Family friends!

The Ghana Team...

(this is Lydia, hugging our mission 701 - you can find out more about her background here ...http://medicineonthemove.blogspot.com/p/lydias-story.html )