IAMA 2010 Aviation Art Calender
July 7, 2009 by Sandy
Filed under Aviation Art, IAMA Classifieds
Missionary and aviation artist Jim Rendel in association with IAMA has produced a 2010 calendar that will be on sale at Oshkosh in the IAMA tent. After EAA AirVenture you may still buy them by using the Buy Now button below.
Here is an example of the exceptional work by Jim Rendell. Click to enlarge.
For as long as he can remember, Jim has always loved airplanes! He grew up in northwest Nigeria where his parents were missionaries with SIM (Serving in Mission) for 35 years. Before he was even in grade school he was building model airplanes with his two older brothers. Their uncle who was back in the States owned a hobby shop and kept them supplied with model airplane kits to build and fly.
Growing up in a remote area meant that Jim and his siblings were 500 miles from the mission boarding school. Flying home in the small mission plane was always an exciting event! That early interest in aviation turned into a lifetime passion and he went on to train as a missionary pilot and mechanic at Moody Aviation in Elizabethton, TN. In 1973 he returned to Africa to fly for the SIM mission in Niger, the country just north of Nigeria.
Back in the mission boarding school Jim’s teachers noticed his talent for drawing and encouraged him to develop it. Later in high school Jim asked the pastor of his church what he thought about him going to art school or to flight school for mission aviation. His answer was, “Fly now while you are young and you can draw later when you’re old!” Jim took his advice and once he had the training went back to Africa. Over the years he’s enjoyed drawing as a hobby and when he learned about the Fly4Life theme for the Air Venture show at Oshkosh this year it afforded an opportunity to do something he had wanted to do for a long time. That was to draw a series of airplanes representing those used by mission aviation around the world. This IAMA 2010 Fly4Life calendar is the result.
Jim has a commercial pilot’s license with instrument and multi-engine ratings and an A&P mechanics license. He has been with SIM for 36 years and has 33 years and 10,000 hours of flying experience in West Africa. He is happily married to Sandy. They have three grown children, Jason, Crystal, and Scott with daughter-in-law Stephanie.
Click on the link below to visit the SIM On-line Bookstore and order yours today (Note: scroll to the bottom of the store page):
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Jim is an AOPA and EAA member and can be
contacted at jim.rendel@sim.org.
Hi folks,
I am Jim’s brother Jack and we built model airplanes together. I enjoyed reading the article. I also draw but Jim is much better!
I still fly alot but am not the pilot. I fly to Latin America and other countries as a Minister at Large with Operation Mobilization, speaking in Spanish which I learned while working as a missionary in Spain for 4 years.
Hope Oskosh really goes well!
Jack Rendel
Greetings from Canada, Jim Rendle is our son-in-law and he is well accepted into our Can-Am family. His wife Sandy was born in the French Island of Guadeloupe. We are proud of Jim’s work as pilot, artist, husband and father of three. we are not able to attend Oshkosh and trust the show will be great this year.
God bless you all and “God Bless America”
Shirley & Dave Mitton
Congratulations, Jim, on a job well done. God has entrusted you with gifts that are valuable in His Kingdom and you have dedicated them to His service. May He give you every success and great joy as you continue to serve Him. I look forward to seeing you at Oshkosh. Your friend and co-laborer, Ken
Jim, I am looking forward to the wonderful calendar you are participating in. I am making a list of people to buy the calendar for Christmas. Don’t tell Lynn. The video made me cry out loud because of the tender hearts of people to meet the needs of people who help others they will never meet. God’s heart I am sure, was touched also. It also reminded me of the many times you flew to Galmi and we had you over for a cool drink and snack. We have such fond memories of our times with you in SIM. God bless you. Sandi
One of my earliest recollections of boarding school was watching Jim Rendel fly his handmade models. It has been a great honor to know him as a fellow missionary and neighbor for many, many years. His life is as beautiful as his art, and if you ask him he’ll tell you … “Of course there will be airplanes in heaven! Everyone will fly there!”
Ubangiji shi sa albarka! Ka issa barka kuma.
I’m lucky to have grown up going to school with Jim Rendel. One of my earliest grade school recollections is watching him build free-flight rubber band powered balsa models, and then racing the other kids to retrieve them from the lantana bushes on Mt Sanderson behind the dorms. After many years together as career missionaries, I know him well enough to say that his life is as clean and beautiful as his airplane art.
He has served with distinction in mission aviation for many, many years. Only eternity will know how many lives have been touched. I know that this calendar will continue that tradition. I suspect that if you asked Rendel, he would say, “Of course there will be airplanes in heaven! Everyone is going to fly there!”
May many of you be lucky enough to enjoy one of these classic calendars. They are truly unique.
Jim “Yacouba” Knowlton
SIM USA Shipping/Receiving/Containers
I attended school and was a roommate of Jim’s for several years at Moody. I have kept in touch with him over the years and he is one of the finest friends you could ever have. As an artist, he is crazy good. I used to watch him build model’s when he was in Elizabethton and he would notice a flaw in something, and try as I might, I could never see it. I wish I could make it to Oshkosh. Maybe next year. Good luck with the calendar Jim.
I enjoyed this article and will be ordering a calendar! My daughter is here and thought your artwork was amazing. Blessings, Eileen Trott
Jim was one of the big kids, and I was one of the little kids, (at Kent Academy our mission school,) chasing the models as he flew them.
Magnificent work Jim. I know God is Praised and pleased by the fruit of the talent He gave you. I look forward to hearing of Oshkosh.
Now that the calendar is done, Jim, when will the cub fly?