Mission Aviation Fellowship came into being after World War II as a result of Christian airmen wanting to use their aviation skills to serve God, the Church and those in need in remote places.
The Missionary Aviation Fellowship was formed in the United Kingdom in 1944, led by Murray Kendon, a New Zealand pilot serving with the RAF. Across the Atlantic, the Christian Airman's Missionary Fellowship was established in the United States of America in 1945. MAF's first flight was made in 1946 when Betty Greene flew missionaries in a Waco biplane to a remote part of Mexico. Inspired by the American and English fellowships, a group of Australian airmen studying at the Melbourne Bible Institute (MBI) caught the vision of using their post war aviation skills for the Lord and in June 1947 Australian Missionary Aviation Fellowship was formed.
Dedication of MAF's Auster
at Bankstown, March 1951 |
In April 1951 pilot Harry Hartwig, together with wife Margaret and daughter Beth and engineer/pilot Bob Hutchins together with wife Betty and son Bruce, commenced operations in Papua New Guinea with one aircraft, a single engined "Auster Autocar". In August 1951 the Auster crashed due to bad weather, instantly killing Harry Hartwig. After years of praying and planning and less than four months after commencing operations in PNG, the program was closed. A year later it reopened and has continued since meeting the physical and spiritual needs of church, mission and remote communities in Papua New Guinea.
 MAF operations commenced in remote Arnhem Land, Northern Australia in 1973 at Elcho Island following on from the pioneering work undertaken by the Rev. Harold Shepherdson. In conjunction with MAF's own operations serving outstation Aboriginal communities, MAF has undertaken management of aircraft owned by Aboriginal community councils. Between 1982 and 2002 MAF managed Aboriginal Air Services in Alice Springs, Central Australia, building up a fleet of eight aircraft, before the Aboriginal councils took in self-management.
In 1994 MAF began work in Cambodia under the umbrella of Christian Care for Cambodia, with MAF staff teaching English as a second language to Civil Aviation staff. In 1995, flying operations commenced with one Cessna 206 aircraft. Initially the aircraft was used for mine clearing, environmental protection and other Non-Government Organisation (NGO) work. Increasingly Christian relief and development and mission organisations have come to rely on MAF's service.
 MAF Australia's name was changed in 2002 from Missionary Aviation Fellowship to Mission Aviation Fellowship to be in line with the rest of the MAF world, and the MAF UK logo was adopted.
Until 2002, MAF Australia had aircraft engineering facilities together with a flight training centre (FTC) in Ballarat, Victoria, and its head office in Melbourne. In 2003 the engineering facility was shifted to Mareeba, Queensland and the head office to Cairns, Queensland. This move had a number of benefits including positioning the support departments considerably closer to the operational branches. The FTC was transferred to the Mission Aviation Centre (MAC) in Coldstream, Victoria, an initiative jointly run by MAF, the Bible College of Victoria and Wycliffe Bible Translators. This MAC facility is primarily focused on training engineers and pilots for potential service in mission flying.
 Following a devastating tsunami offshore from the northwest coast of Sumatra, Indonesia on Boxing Day 2004, MAF Europe, MAF US and MAF Australia joined forces to provide air transport in the Aceh province of Indonesia transporting food, medical aid and materials for rebuilding destroyed homes. When aid agencies left Indonesia a few months later, MAF was invited to stay. MAF US and MAF Australia jointly continue operations in the region with MAF Australia operating one GA8 aircraft.
While the various MAF groups are autonomous they all share the same vision and have always cooperated with each other, sharing information and resources. In May 2005 the Chairmen and CEOs of the major MAF groups met together to consider worldwide integration. A set of organisational statements was agreed on and MAF International began to take shape.
In 2007 the hand-over of the Bangladesh programme from the MAF Africa region to the Asia Pacific region commenced. The Aceh programme was transferred to the MAF United States region who already oversaw a number of programmes in other parts of Indonesia.
In the same year MAF Asia Pacific commenced a flying programme in East Timor to assist the needs of the local people, using a new GA8 Airvan. MAF was the only aviation company flying internally for the people in country.
In 2008 MAF appointed its inaugural International President/CEO Ron Pritz. Ron commenced the process by appointing leadership teams and work started on worldwide integration and the development of MAF.
Around that time Mission Aviation Fellowship in Australia became two separate entities with two distinct functions:
- MAF International Asia Pacific headed by Regional Director Bill Harding became the operational arm of MAF in the Asia Pacific region,
- and MAF Australia headed up by CEO Rob Owen took on responsibility for recruiting staff and raising financial & prayer support in Australia to pass on to MAF International's worldwide operations.
A review was also undertaken into our dependency on Avgas (aviation
gasoline) due to worldwide shortages and the large hike in prices in 2008. The development of a new turbo charged aircraft, as well as the possibility of a new turbine engine, were closely monitored and a switch from Avgas for all of the fleet is hoped for in the next few years.
|
|
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 27 October 2009 )
|
Our History 
