Hannah Umberger

Hello all! My name is Hannah, and I serve on staff at Missionary Flights as a pilot. I am the first female pilot to fly for the organization. I really appreciate your prayers and financial support as I follow the Lord’s leading to use aviation to stand in the gap for missionaries in the Caribbean.

TESTIMONY:

I had the privilege of growing up in a Christian home and being brought to church on a regular basis. When I was five, I remember coming to the conclusion that even though I knew so much about the Bible, I had never asked Christ to save me from my sins and become my Savior. One night, after reading together before bed, I asked my mom if she could show me how to accept Jesus into my life.

As a young teenager, I struggled with my salvation. My emotions made me question if I was really a believer. A counselor at my summer camp was able to show me Scripture then gave me peace that my relationship with the Lord was not based on emotion but on the promises in His Word. It was also during this time that I became faithful in spending time each day reading my Bible and speaking to the Lord in prayer.

CALL TO AVIATION MINISTRY:

Growing up, I always looked forward to our church's missions conference. I always thought that it would be the coolest job in the world. As I grew older I still loved missions, but I wasn't prepared to give God so much control of my life. It was a struggle, but, around 17 years old, I was convicted to do whatever the Lord wanted me to do. I have struggled in prayer to give God control over the years, but the Lord has never disappointed me.

When I was in high school, I also began to develop an interest in aviation. I learned about missionary aviation and began to pray that God would allow me to pursue this avenue of ministry. I graduated high school in 2013 and enrolled at West Coast Baptist College where I majored in missions. There was no aviation program so I kept praying for God to open a door.

God provided the finances and the opportunity for me to begin flight training in October 2014. I was taking full credits and working a job at the time so I was only able to fly on Saturdays. It took me about a year and half to finish my primary training. I finished college a semester early and came home to figure out what to do next.

I received a phone call from a ministry in California about teaching on an Indian reservation for six months, and I felt God leading me to accept. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done, but I grew so much as a Christian and an individual. While I was there, I was unable to fly and I began to wonder if God was closing that door. The ministry asked if I would consider staying indefinitely and I had to seriously pray about it. God showed me that he did not want me to teach full time and that he wanted me start pursuing aviation again.

I came home, again unsure of the next step. I couldn't afford to go to an aviation school so I started calling local airports and asking if I could do a maintenance apprenticeship. I started working at a local airport as an apprentice and I also joined an Aero Club based there to continue my flight training.

For three years, I worked full time to pay for my flight training. I earned my instrument rating in August 2019, my commercial in January 2020, and my multi-engine rating in March 2020. I have my tailwheel and complex endorsements, and CFI. Prior to moving to Florida I was also actively involved in my home church, working in the music, children's, and bus ministries.