Gary and Stacie Elliott | MATA Mission Aviation Training Academy

Gary Elliott graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy and served 20 years, mostly as a fighter pilot. After retiring, he and his wife Stacie trained with New Tribes Mission (NTM) for 2 years, then served 8 years in the Philippines. Gary provided flight service for church-planting missionaries in remote jungle and mountain areas, operating a Cessna 180 and 185 from short, steep, narrow grass airstrips on the sides of mountains and in river valleys. Although not an A&P mechanic, he had lots of hands-on experience inspecting and maintaining the aircraft, working under the supervision of NTM Aviation’s Chief Mechanic in the Philippines.

While on furlough in 2001-2002, he taught in Central Washington University’s Flight Technology Program, providing classroom instruction in subjects varying from private pilot ground school and meteorology to advanced aircraft systems. He joined MATA as Chief Flight Instructor in September of 2006. Gary has over 8,500 hours total time which includes over 5,800 hours of instructor pilot time and holds CFI and CFII ratings in single-engine and multi-engine airplanes. Gary’s vision is to prepare missionary pilots to meet and pass the high flight standards that are required by sending organizations.

Stacie Elliott is the wife of MATA’s chief flight instructor and mother of 5 adult children. She has followed and served alongside Gary for the past 41 years, living outside the U.S. for over 13 years. While serving with New Tribes Mission Aviation in the Philippines, Stacie was the controller for the HF radio network covering three islands, and the flight follower for airborne pilots, logging their time and position at reporting points. Stacie and Gary managed an 18-room guest housing facility for missionaries passing through Manila for about two years. Stacie serves as Administrator in the MATA office, handling correspondence, data entry, newsletter publication, etc. She also represents MATA at mission fairs, fly-ins, and churches.