Love is in the Air

Angel Flight Pilot since 1999

Three recent flights vividly show the variety of missions that pilots of NC Baptist on Mission: Aviation Ministry often fly. Though different, these flights have one common thread: pilots taking to the air with their resources, skills, and love of God to meet the needs of others.

Candice’s recent flight was an example of reoccurring trips for someone needing checkups. I have flown Candice off and on for over fifteen years. A lung transplant patient, her semi-annual flights from Shelby to Raleigh (UNC Medical Center) are necessary to keep her immune system from rejecting her transplant. My latest trip, bringing Candice home from Raleigh was truly a blessing for me, watching her vibrant and uplifting spirit as we flew over Piedmont North Carolina.

When I asked Candice about the knitting she was doing, she said, “It was for her newborn granddaughter.” God’s Grace, Angel Flights, and NC Baptist on Mission Aviation Ministry has made it possible for Candice to live these many extra years to praise and thank God for healing. The transplant and continued successful treatment have allowed her to enjoy friends, family, her farm animals, and a new granddaughter!

A second flight with Ysaita involved an entirely different situation. Ysaita was going from Raleigh to Miami for cancer treatment. She can only get affordable treatment (experimental or insurance issues) in Miami. Ysaita’s trip involved three different planes and pilots, and I was the first leg pilot. Complicating our flight, Ysaita spoke no English, and neither my copilot nor I spoke Spanish. She was able to use Google Translate to communicate via text as we set up the trip. When we met Ysaita at Atlantic Aero we were able to greet each other but that was about it. However, a universal understanding that I wanted to pray for her and the safety of this and her following flights, brought a warm smile and a thank you from Ysaita. As we shared thoughts and words in a brief prayer, all of us knew God listens in all languages even though we may not understand what is being said! Just because we couldn’t converse in her native tongue on our flight to Hilton Head, SC, we saw Ysaita’s gratitude as she thanked us when we handed her off to the next pilots. Ours and the following two flights went well and Ysaita arrived in Miami safely.

Last year NC Baptist on Mission pilots introduced multiple youth to the joys of flight through participation in Young Eagle/Prayer flights. We flew many loads of young people out of Morganton/Lenoir airport with emphasis on experiencing a different view of God’s vast creation, giving thanks for the bounty He has provided. The excitement and sometimes anxiety of leaving Mother Earth for the first time is a true joy and privilege to share.