With a thumbs up and a grin big enough to see from fifty yards away, Pastor Rick Cobb became the nation’s newest private pilot and the most recent Wings for Christ student to earn his wings.

The day was almost perfect. Mostly calm winds (for Central Texas, anyway), big puffy clouds and bright blue skies welcomed Rick, his instructor Monte and FAA Flight Examiner John Foster when they met early in the morning of July 12 at the TSTC airport.

First was the oral exam, covering all areas of aeronautical knowledge that a private pilot is responsible for. The examiner was especially impressed with Rick’s cross-country flight planning skills. When asked to plot a route for a night flight, Rick chose to make safety a higher priority than efficiency. His route may have taken a bit longer to get to the final goal, but kept closer to alternate airports in case an emergency should present itself. Mr. Foster said that safety is always the best choice.

Next was the practical exam, where Pastor Rick had to demonstrate all of the maneuvers learned during his training and also show his navigation skills. All went well during the nearly two hour flight and when they returned to the airport Rick was on pins and needles as the examiner completed some paperwork. After a few nail biting moments, Rick was rewarded with the news that he had passed the exam and was now an official Private Pilot.

Pastor Rick began his training at WfC in December of 2009, soloed in April and completed his Private Pilot checkride just before noon on Monday, July 12. With a beaming smile and handshakes from everyone around, Rick said he was so happy to reach this milestone in his pilot training. But this is just the beginning.

Rick recently acquired a Cessna 172 and is making plans to transition up to the larger plane as soon as possible. He will start to build cross country time so that he can start his instrument training, therefore making his plans of flying between new church plants to be a pastor to other pastors more effective. The ability to fly between locations will greatly improve his ability to personally mentor and lead pastors of small churches across several states during a critical time in their development.

Pastor Rick and his wife Gloria want to thank Wings for Christ and all of our supporters for the assistance in his flight training and helping him to reach this important milestone in his flying career. After the excitement settled down and he had a moment to reflect on his accomplishment, Rick said that he and his wife, Gloria, want to encourage people to support WfC with their time and financial commitments because of the direct impact WfC has had on their ministry plans. “Without the help of Wings for Christ, I would not have been able to afford to learn to fly. Wings has been such a blessing to my wife and me,” said Rick. He also expressed his thankfulness for his flight instructor, Monte Michael. Monte donated many hours to help Rick complete his training schedule and prepare for the check ride. Also to be thanked are the maintenance volunteers that keep Gracie Bird flying. An airplane as old as Gracie needs almost an hour of maintenance for every hour she spends in the air.

Rick’s journey into aviation is just at the beginning, and Wings for Christ is glad to have played a part. Our prayer is for many years of successful flying and ministry for Rick and Gloria. Congratulations, Rick!

Share on Facebook

Monday, July 12, 2010 will be a day that WfC student and pastor of Journey Christian Community Church Rick Cobb will remember for the rest of his life. From that day on he will be a certificated Private Pilot (we’re trusting that all will go well). Pastor Rick has been actively preparing for that day since December 3, 2009, when he began his Private Pilot training program at Wings for Christ.

With lots of hard work, prayers and support from WfC, Rick is ready for his FAA Private Pilot Checkride, says Chief Pilot Monte Michael, who is Rick’s flight instructor. Monte says that Rick has been taking blocks of vacation time from his job to concentrate his training and make his push towards the checkride more effective. Rick took a similar approach before his first solo back in April, with great success.

Rick plans to continue his training as soon as he has built up enough cross country time to start the Instrument Flight Rules program. He plans to use aviation to facilitate church planting efforts all across Texas and even into some neighboring states.

Please pray for clear thinking, a sharp mind, good weather and a sense of fun and adventure on what will be a memorable day for Rick and the entire Wings for Christ family.

Share on Facebook

Last Tuesday, June 1st, the population of Waco, Texas increased by two when Matt and Kimberlie Dillon arrived in town. The two day drive from Minnesota was shared with their parents who came to help get them settled. Apart from being a little nervous about jumping right into the Texas summer, the Dillons are happy to be here and are excited about the doors God has opened for them in Waco.

Matt and Kimberlie recently graduated from the University of Minnesota in Duluth; Matt with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and Kim with her Bachelor of Music in Oboe Performance. Recently, Matt was kind enough to be interviewed for the Wings website. Here is what we talked about…

WfC- What are your hometowns and how long have you been married?

Matt- I am from Duluth, MN, and Kim grew up in Preston, Minnesota. We’ve been married since July 11th, 2009 at about 3:32pm CST.

WfC- You are beginning flight training at Wings for Christ, but Kim has a special reason for coming to Waco as well, right?

Matt- Kim is getting her Master of Music degree in Oboe Performance at Baylor School of Music and she will be a graduate assistant there.

WfC- Many mission organizations require their pilots to hold an Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic’s certificate. Will you pursue that while in Waco?

Matt- I’ve thought about taking my A&P at TSTC, but I’m waiting for now… it’s undecided where, but eventually, I would like to pursue that.

WfC- How did you find out about Wings for Christ? When did you apply to become a student here?

Matt- I was searching for flight schools in the Waco area and your website was the first result. I applied back in February, 2010. I was very excited to apply as God had been laying aviation missions on Kim’s and my heart more and more recently.

WfC- Tell us more about that.

Matt- I’ve always been interested in aviation since I was little. I first heard about mission aviation through mission organization representatives at various airshows. I always thought it would be a great thing to do and knew I would love doing it, but I never felt called to it or that God was opening any doors at that time. It wasn’t until I spoke with a Mission Aviation Fellowship representative at a missionary conference called Urbana this past December that I felt God opening doors. The MAF representative and I talked at length about the possibility and what the process would entail. I applied and was accepted to the School of Mission Aviation Technology in Ionia, MI. However, God kept opening doors for my wife at Baylor. I struggled with this as I still felt called to aviation ministry and was wondering if I would have to put it on the back burner while my wife finished grad school. Trusting God, we moved forward with the Baylor process, and it was during this time that I found Wings for Christ. We’re praising God for his faithfulness and how he works beyond our understanding. Kim is now able to get her Master’s degree the same time I am investing in my training as a pilot. We feel called to mission aviation, but not much more has been revealed to us than that. We are taking these next steps in faith. We would like to pursue service with the MAF in the future.

WfC- Have you or Kim been involved in any previous mission work?

Matt- I have been to a few different Habitat for Humanity projects and had done some relief work in New Orleans after Katrina. Kim has been overseas, not specifically as a missionary, but has been in music trips and has played in several countries including Turkey. We have done ministry on campus with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and have been involved ministry at our church.

WfC- What are you most excited about when it comes to learning to fly? Most scared of?

Matt- The best part of learning to fly will be working in something I am passionate about. I love aviation. The scariest part about training for mission aviation is learning to trust God in everything- in finances; in where we will be serving, whether in the US or overseas; in safety; in ministry; etc. We have continually seen God’s work in our lives in times of trial and have grown because of it. However, it is still a scary thing to not be in control and have to rely so heavily on God. Both my wife and I are very mission-minded. Kim’s passion is music and my passion is in aviation. For us to use our passions and gifts for God’s glory is something very fulfilling.

WfC- How will your bachelors (and Kim’s Master’s) degrees play a part in your mission goals?

Matt- I have a degree in engineering that I hope to use on the mission field. Whether in maintenance of aircraft, or as a “tent making” job in a closed country. Similarly, Kim hopes to use her education in music overseas. If in a closed country, she hopes to learn their music styles, play in their professional orchestras, or open her own studio to teach music lessons. We have been looking to join the MAF and after talking with them, we found that they not only need pilots, but they also need technology specialists and teachers. Kim’s Master in Music degree will equip her to teach, something that can be used by the MAF for missionary kids overseas, who need English-speaking teachers.

WfC- What do you think about your new home of Waco?

Matt- After visiting Waco during Kim’s audition at Baylor, we fell in love with the people down here. God was opening so many connections for us that we feel like Waco is already becoming a home to us. I’m deathly afraid of temperatures above 70 degrees, but Kim loves warm weather and should feel right at home. She just got a job at the local YMCA as a lifeguard and instructor for this summer.

WfC- Have you found a church home yet?

Matt- We’ve visited Antioch and liked it, but we have not decided on a church yet. Kim and I both have a desire to become heavily involved in a church while we are living in Waco.

We hope this has helped to introduce you to our new friends Matt and Kimberlie Dillion. They are a great couple who are humbly preparing themselves for a life of service to Jesus. We are so thankful that God has brought them into the Wings for Christ family. Please help us welcome them to town. Waco is blessed to have them!

Share on Facebook