KEYSTONE HEIGHTS, Fla. — There’s a revolution happening in Keystone Heights.
Frustrated after hearing stories of missionary students kept from becoming pilots because of the high cost of flight school, and motivated to spread their faith, a dozen professional pilots, noted theological scholars and others have convened in Keystone to make a better option available.
The first low-cost missionary flight school in the region — possibly in the country — begins classes with its first group of five students on Jan. 5.
“When we see these kids come through and they catch the heart of God and want to serve, and then they’re denied because of financial reasons,” college President Tim Huggins said during a recent interview, then shook his head. “It’s unreasonable.”
The idea for a low-cost flight school has been in the works for years, but only six months have passed since the group began working in earnest to get the College of Missionary Aviation off the ground.
For years, Huggins has held missionary aviation-focused summer programs at Lake Swan Camp in Melrose.
Time and again, he saw his students take an interest in performing missionary work in remote parts of the world, then be stymied by the price of flight school.
