Tim Griffin

Tim Griffin - Class of 1991

After graduating from Tabernacle Christian School in 1991, Tim Griffin attended Moody Bible Institute in Chicago where he majored in Aviation and played on the college’s basketball team. He transferred to LeTourneau University in Longview, Texas, in 1993. Majoring in Mechanical Engineering Technology with Aviation Technology, he graduated in 1998 as an engineer with an FAA Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic's License. While a student at LeTourneau, Tim married his sweetheart, Amy Rae McCrady. The two wed in 1996.

During his senior year at LeTourneas, Tim had an astounding seven job offers. Each of his prospective employers paid Tim and Amy’s traveling expenses to and from the interviews, a fact that afforded them the opportunity to visit many exciting places and meet many interesting people. The young Union County couple was amazed at the blessings God was sending their way.

In 1998 Tim accepted an offer to work as a mechanical/design engineer for Gulfstream Aerospace in Savannah, Georgia. That same year marked the birth of the Griffin’s first son, Jesse Russell, named after his friend and mentor Russell Thompson.

At Gulfstream, Tim was asked to be part of several massive projects. Although fresh out of college, he was asked to design structures for multi-million dollar aircraft, a job usually reserved for senior engineers. The Lord provided him with incredible opportunities.

Still, Tim had a dream of flying, and the Lord allowed him to achieve that dream. His family moved to Boise, Idaho, where Amy’s family lived, and Tim enrolled in flight school while his wife worked as an engineer. He was later hired by that same school as a Certified Flight Instructor. Shortly thereafter, their second child Hailey was born.

The Lord allowed him to accomplish the following on his journey to achieving his aviational dreams:
  • 8,000 flight hours
  • Airline Transport Pilot
  • A&P Mechanic
  • Director of Operations-FAA 135 Charter
  • Chief Flight Instructor for FAA flight school
In 2004 the Lord allowed Tim to start his own flight business, Jetstream Aviation. The company grew to 2 locations, 30 employees, managed 15 aircraft, and had a superior flight school. This past year marked a period of incredible growth for Tim’s company. Jetstream’s flight school is one of the largest in the Northwest United States, and they are now managing large jets and turboprops. “This is something that I never thought we could actually do, but have dreamed of flying this type of aircraft since I was a kid.”

The Griffin family is actively involved with their local church, and Tim points to his time as a youth leader as some of the most enjoyable time he has spent recently. He comments, “It is great to have a hand in shaping the lives of young people, and mentoring high school boys to become men.”

Regarding his tenure as a student at Tabernacle, Tim comments that Tabernacle “was the place where the Lord wanted me to go to high school. I was able to play sports and be challenged academically. It was one of the happiest times of my life. I still talk to my friends from high school on a regular basis even though we live on opposite sides of the country. Basketball was my outlet, and my first coach, Terry Comer, was the first adult (besides my parents) that took an interest in me. He challenged me on the court, which in turn taught me leadership skills I use to this day. I also remember going to Physics class my senior year and loving that part of school. I used things I learned in Physics class as an engineer at Gulfstream. I think I developed a great work ethic during high school playing basketball. I worked hard and was rewarded while I was still in school. This keeps me working to this day.”

In closing his letter to TCS, Tim referenced Psalms 37:4 as a favorite verse: “Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Tim comments, “I always interpreted this verse that I would dream of things I wanted to do and God would give them to me, but few years ago, the Lord showed me that He gave those desires to me in the first place.”
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