Photo by Mariano Rosales

“I have a dream.”

Martin Luther King, Jr. said that during his 1963 speech that became part of U.S. history, but Michael Combs is living that dream today and making an impact. In fact, so far he has reached out to more than 2 million people with the message that it’s never too late to follow your dreams.

After an illness almost killed him in 2003, Combs decided he would live life with no regrets. That meant he would learn how to fly.

He earned his sport pilot certificate last fall, and this April, took off in an LSA Remos GX from Salina, Kansas, with a goal to land in all 50 states as part of the Flight for the Human Spirit.

The week before EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, Combs was in Denton, Texas, on a weather hold, having made 95 stops in 13,500 miles. He then detoured back to Wisconsin for AirVenture.

By the time Combs finishes his trip in mid-September, he will have made about 140 stops, covered more than 22,000 miles and landed in all 50 states including Alaska and Hawaii.

“I’m not doing this flight just to fulfill my dreams,” he said. “My goal was to fly, not to go on an epic adventure. But I want to use this flight to help other people fulfill their dreams.”

Combs said people have told him they are taking flying lessons because of his story. But others are using his message of living your dreams to start their own businesses and even propose marriage.

While stopping in Oshkosh added miles to his final trip — he had already visited Wisconsin — Combs said AirVenture is a great opportunity for people to experience his flight. He’ll continue the Flight for the Human Spirit in August, and once his trip is complete, he will make air show appearances and work on a book.

Combs said his journey is proof how much people can do when they put their mind to it. “I have stretched myself further than I ever thought I could be stretched,” he said. “I’m excited to see what the rest of the flight reveals.”

To learn more about his flight, visit www.FlightHS.com.