The Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), the world’s largest humanitarian air operator, is recruiting for new entrants to its Future Pilot Programme 2024.
For over 75 years MAF has been flying light aircraft over jungles, mountains, swamps and deserts, enabling more than 2,000 aid, development and mission organisations to bring medical care, emergency relief and long-term development. Its pilots and personnel deliver relief workers, doctors, pastors, schoolbooks, food, medicines – everything that can only be safely and speedily delivered by air.
MAF UK has now opened applications for its pilot training programme intake for 2024 to assist people with a passion for mission aviation to join MAF and serve overseas. MAF says that successful applicants will be supported to achieve the theoretical knowledge and practical experience necessary to obtain a Commercial Pilots Licence (CPL) an Instrument Rating (IR).
Trainees will then go on to serve in an overseas MAF programme in Africa or the Asia Pacific region. MAF adds that this scheme is only available to those holding the right to live and work in the UK with no restrictions. Candidates outside of the UK will be referred to the most appropriate MAF group.
Cadets will be required to:
• Participate in and complete a full programme of academic study that leads to qualification as a commercial pilot.
• Engage in all practical training activities relating to the programme of study.
• Keep appropriate records of any expenses incurred directly relating to the training so that proper financial accountability can be maintained.
• Engage in a partnership development programme of activities to help build a supporter base which will raise prayer, pastoral and financial support.
• Represent MAF at various events as a professional and trustworthy Christian charity.
MAF says it is looking for candidates who have:
• A-levels including Physics and Mathematics to at least grade B or above.
• 5 GCSE’s including English and Mathematics to at least grade C or above.
• A Class 1 Aviation Medical.
• Minimum English proficiency level 4.
• Ability to demonstrate holding a leadership position or responsibility in church, school or another spere.
• Ability to communicate clearly, assertively and diplomatically.
• Ability to manage deadlines and priorities.
• Demonstrate good attention to detail and can follow rules and instructions.
• A high level of aptitude in verbal and numerical reasoning.
• A demonstrated Christian faith commitment.
• Full right to live and work in the UK with no restrictions (i.e. no visa requirements limiting numbers, type or duration of work).
As an example of the type of relief work provided by the charity, MAF has recently been flying hundreds of water filters to 17 remote villages in isolated Marsabit County, northern Kenya.
Before MAF partnered with charity Water Matters, the villagers of Loglogo and surrounding areas in Kenya’s isolated Marsabit County were drinking dirty water not fit for human consumption.
Without MAF’s two-hour flight from them capital Nairobi to Loglogo, it would take the team seven hours of overland travel to deliver the filters.
Given that MAF is the only air operator to fly to Marsabit, MAF said it made sense for Water Matters to save time and deliver their precious cargo as smoothly and as quickly as possible.
Instead of allowing road travel to eat into their already packed schedule, MAF says the team can
instead use their precious time to deliver water filters to communities and schools, demonstrate how to use them, and provide education about sanitation.
The simple water filter, which consists of a specially designed hose nozzle attached to a bucket, turns dirty water into safe drinking water, removing 99.9% bacteria and parasites, and 100% microplastics.
If maintained and used correctly, one single filter can last a family around 15 years and clean up to 3.9 million litres of water.
Image accredited to MAF
