Staff

Our Staff

John & Tara Watt

Executive Director, Pilot, Mechanic, DME

John was born and raised in Nyankunde, Zaire (now D.R. Congo). As the son of missionaries, he saw firsthand the vital role of airplanes...

John was born and raised in Nyankunde , Zaire (now D.R. Congo). As the son of missionaries, he saw firsthand the vital role of airplanes for missionary work in remote areas. He was thrilled when, as a teenager, the Mission Aviation Fellowship mechanics allowed him to apprentice with them in the hangar at Nyankunde. After his family returned to the States, John earned his Airframe & Powerplant license at LeTourneau University in Texas . He also met his future wife there.

In 1996, John and Tara moved to North Carolina, where John worked for Free Spirit Aviation. He obtained his pilot’s license and his Inspection Authorization certificate during his time there. John helped found Compass Aviation as one of the visionaries.

John and Tara have been married since 1994 and have four children: Aaron, Maggie, Audrey, and Mark. John serves as secretary/treasurer of Compass Aviation while Tara home-schools their children and aids John with administrative duties for the shop and ministry. Their oldest son, Aaron, is a mechanic at Compass as is working on his Commercial Pilot certificate.

Bill & Jan Kilgore

Chief Flight Instructor/Mechanic

The Kilgores are currently serving overseas with Mission Aviation Fellowship.

Jacob & Audrey Miller

Flight Instructor

Jacob & Audrey Miller are missionaries with Mission Aviation Fellowship, and served overseas as a pilot in Brazil.
Visit their web page: https://maf.org/miller

Aaron & Tara Hammitt

Flight Instructor/Mechanic, IA

Aaron and Tara began serving in missionary aviation in 2014 when Aaron left his engineering career to begin serving at MMS Aviation in Coschocton, Ohio.

Aaron and Tara began serving in missionary aviation in 2014 when Aaron left his engineering career to begin serving at MMS Aviation in Coschocton, Ohio. He earned his pilot and mechanic certificates through an apprenticeship at MMS, and they eventually moved with their three children to Cochabamba, Bolivia to serve as a pilot/mechanic family.

During their first home assignment, Aaron earned his inspection authorization and flight instructor certificate. They planned to return to Bolivia, but it became clear that it was time to move in a new direction. The Lord led them to Compass Aviation, where Aaron will serve as a flight instructor, mechanic, and inspector. Aaron and Tara remain passionate about reaching the nations with the Gospel, and although their role is changing, they are excited about the opportunity to invest in the next generation of missionaries.

Aaron and Tara will be moving to North Carolina with their daughter Aliza, while their two older children—Ian and Ella—attend college in Ohio and Florida.