We arrived on Maui the evening of March 27 and were greeted by our friends, John and Leslie Caubble, with a “lei greeting” which is a warm welcome with a beautiful ring of fresh flowers around your neck.

We were there to do several things:

• Connect with our friends, the Caubbles.
• Work on the flight school airplanes.
• Enjoy a wonderful vacation.
• See amazing sights and taste amazing food!

The trip was truly epic.

In this episode, I focused mainly on the airplane side of things.

In the next episode, I’ll talk about the incredible airplane ride Leslie took us on, and also some of the other adventures we enjoyed.

So here we go… the morning after we arrived, Leslie gave me a tour of the airport and turned me loose to begin a 100 hour inspection on one of the flight school Cessna 172’s.

I unpacked my tools and supplies and “set up shop” in the T-hangar.

The first few days, I was overwhelmed and I was having a blast, all at the same time!

Getting used to a new situation, inspecting the airplane, and fixing the things that needed fixing were all worthwhile challenges, and I’m super thankful for the opportunity.

And, it turned out that all three of the school’s airplanes came due for 100 hour inspection within about the same week. I did one of the inspections, and helped with the other two.

What an adventure!

Occasionally, I’d take some time to go enjoy a local beach with my wife Maria before going to the airport… there are so many great beaches to choose from!

We packed so much into our short 2 weeks on Maui, and I’ll share some of those adventures in the next episode.

The day before we left was Easter Sunday, and we were so blessed by the 7 am service with John and Leslie at Hope Chapel in Kihei.

Mahalo Nui Loa (thank you very much) to John and Leslie for an absolutely amazing time on Maui!

… and more to come in the next episode!

P.S. If you ever get the opportunity to visit Maui, it’s totally worth it! I highly recommend the following resources that will make your trip so much better:

The Aloha 360 Podcast with John and Leslie Caubble. These episodes have tons of must-have information for a trip to Maui.

The Road to Hana Audio Guide. Learn about the best stops along the Road to Hana, some of which you would drive right past without a guide like this. (Be sure NOT to miss “Aunty Sandy’s Banana Bread” on the Keanae peninsula!)

The Fly Maui Flight School at Kahalui Airport (OGG.) A scenic tour from the air is an absolutely incredible perspective!