  We suggest to probe the pion light-cone distribution amplitude, applying a
dispersion relation for the pion electromagnetic form factor. Instead of the
standard dispersion relation, we use the equation between the spacelike form
factor $F_\pi(Q^2)$ and the integrated modulus of the timelike form factor. For
$F_\pi(Q^2)$, the QCD light-cone sum rule with a dominant twist-2 term is used.
Adopting for the pion twist-2 distribution amplitude a certain combination of
the first few Gegenbauer polynomials, it is possible to fit their coefficients
$a_{2,4,6,...}$ (Gegenbauer moments) from this equation, employing the measured
pion timelike form factor. For the exploratory fit we use the data of the BaBar
collaboration. The results definitely exclude the asymptotic twist-2
distribution amplitude. Also the model with a single $a_2\neq 0$ is disfavoured
by the fit. Considering the models with $a_{n>2}\neq 0$, we find that the
fitted values of the second and fourth Gegenbauer moments cover the intervals
$a_2 (1 \mbox{GeV}) = (0.22 - 0.33) $, $a_4 (1 \mbox{GeV}) = (0.12 - 0.25) $.
The higher moments starting from $a_{8}$ are consistent with zero, albeit with
large uncertainties. The spacelike pion form factor obtained in two different
ways, from the dispersion relation and from the light-cone sum rule, agrees,
within uncertainties, with the measurement by the Jefferson Lab $F_\pi$
collaboration.
