After 20 years in the Navy flying fighter jets, Alan Mathis is making the transition from Top Gun to top dad.

Mathis, who with wife Dena, operates Moultrie Municipal Airport as owners of Eagles of America Inc., served 10 years active duty and recently finished 10 years in the reserves. He flew missions over Bosnia, served in the Middle East in the mid-1990s, and spent time on all of the aircraft carriers based on the East Coast. He graduated from the U.S Air Force Academy in 1988 before cross commissioning with the Navy, and also attended the United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program, better known as TOPGUN.

These days the 44-year-old Mathis is busy with his businesses — which also include a subsidiary that operates the much-busier Southwest Georgia Regional Airport in Albany — and “miracle baby” Haden Lee Blevins Mathis. The Mathises successfully bid on a contract with the city of Moultrie and have been managing the airport since Jan. 1, 2004, and the airport in Albany since Feb. 1.

“Coming back here is what my wife and I always dreamed about,” said Mathis, who returned to live here in 2000. “We always wanted to come back to Moultrie.”

In 2003 they learned that the long-time operator in Moultrie was retiring.

“Dena and I looked at each other — could it be?” he said. “We made a proposal to the airport authority. In December 2003 we got the contract.”

In Moultrie the main money-maker is aviation and jet fuel. The company also does maintenance on light planes and has a rental plane for use by freelance flight instructors.

“Actually we have a lot of students going through here,” he said. “We have people who have been through our program here and are flying for airlines.”

Mathis has 20 full-time employees in Albany and Moultrie, and another two who work during the hunting season when quail hunters descend on south Georgia.

“It all adds up,” Mathis said. “Every gallon of fuel, every little segment counts. I also do some aviation consulting.”

Mathis’ flying career started in Moultrie, where he soloed at the age of 16 and got his license at 17.

“I started taking lessons here as a kid in high school,” he said. “I was dreaming to be a Navy fighter pilot.”

Another dream of the couple was starting a family.

After unsuccessful attempts, Dena became pregnant but trouble came when her water broke at 19 weeks and it appeared that dream could be dashed.

“The Lord had other plans,” Mathis said. “He stayed in for 32 weeks. It was miraculous.”

Dena had to spend 19 weeks in the hospital before giving birth to a 3 pound 12 ounce boy.

“We were told he probably would have to have breathing treatments for the rest of his life, that he could be on a ventilator,” Mathis said. “He came out breathing raw air and crying. That baby is truly a miracle.”

For his business, Mathis bases his service philosophy on the Bible.

“Do it not unto man, do it unto the Lord,” said. “That’s our motto. Everybody needs to be served. Every one of us is called to service.

“That’s what my business is like, everybody’s your boss. I think that’s what’s allowed this business to prosper.”