Ryan Vinall’s aviation dreams began early, with hopes of flying for the Coast Guard. When those plans fell through and uncertainty surrounded him, he found a new and unexpected path forward at Moody Aviation, where his future began to take flight.
In 2019, Ryan enrolled in Moody’s faith-based college program to become a missionary pilot.
"As much as I thought military aviation is what I wanted to pursue, the door was firmly closed," said Ryan. "Then my eyes were opened to global missions, which I hadn't considered before."
During the program, Ryan traveled to Africa with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF).
Along with six other students, he journeyed to a remote village. The ground trek took over 12 hours by bus and horseback, covering rough terrain, deep ravines, and a steep mountainside. The return trip, however, took just 35 minutes by plane.
“We saw the value of aviation in bringing help and hope to isolated people and places,” he said.
Ryan graduated last spring and joined MAF. He plans to move to Indonesia and serve as a pilot and mechanic.
"The more I pursue global missions, the more I know this is exactly where I’m supposed to be," he continued.
Moody Aviation was founded in Chicago in 1946, after World War II. It is the first and largest aviation program of its kind.
In 2005, Moody moved its operations to Felts Field in Spokane Valley, where it continues to focus on missionary aviation training. Its five-year program attracts students from across the world, producing a significant portion of the pilots in the missionary aviation field.
"We train people to access some incredibly remote and difficult-to-access areas of our world," said Steven Thimsen, Moody Aviation director of maintenance training.
Graduates earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Missionary Aviation Technology, with extensive training in flight or maintenance. Students are prepared for challenging operations in inclement weather conditions and remote locations. Pilots gain 325 flight hours, while mechanics specialize in aircraft repair and leadership.
Sitting just off the runway, Moody’s campus includes three aircraft hangars.
In 2023, Moody began planning an LED lighting upgrade to replace the hangars' outdated and inefficient fluorescent and halogen light fixtures.
While researching options, a local contractor encouraged them to apply for Avista's small business direct-install lighting program.
"We were expecting to pay for the project first and then get a rebate," said Steven. "Not having to pay upfront meant we had funding for other projects that needed to get done. That was a great benefit for us."
Avista covered the entire $81,270 energy efficient lighting upgrade. The new lights are estimated to save Moody over 130,000 kWh of electricity and more than $10,000 in energy costs each year.
"We are enjoying the increased light," said Steven. "And the energy savings means savings for the students over time."
Washington and Idaho Avista small business customers can easily qualify for lighting upgrades like this. Plus, Avista typically covers 100% of the project costs.