Mission Aviation Fellowship

Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) is a Christian organization that provides aviation services in 24 countries to more than 1,500 Christian and humanitarian agencies in the world’s most isolated areas. MAF’s bush pilots undergo rigorous training for flying into remote and rugged jungle and mountain airstrips. I had the privilege of photographing stories about MAF’s worldwide work and impact while based in Kenya and DR Congo.

MAF pilot John Lowe is the program manager and sole pilot of the MAF program in Timor-Leste with Timorese hanger assistant Elizito Ximenes. Operating in East Timor since 2007, MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) is focused on providing immediate access to the remotest areas of the country.

MAF Timor-Leste with pilot John Lowe

MAF pilot John Lowe in East Timor.

MAF pilot John Lowe in East Timor.

MAF Timor-Leste with pilot John Lowe

Landing in Oecussi, with MAF Timor-Leste with pilot John Lowe

MAF pilot Ian Purdey flies to Elcho Island in Arnhem Land. The island has a population of about 2,300 and is made up of about 17 different clans.

Pilot Ian Purdey helps a woman with a plane reservation at Elcho Island.

MAF Pilot David Pett visits with the women who work at Bible Translation for CSIS on Elcho Island in Arnhem Land.

MAF Australia, Mareeba

Kevin Kraak runs a paint warehouse - one of the few place where MAF has an area to paint plaines. Kevin Kraak, Senior engineer, has worked with MAF for 31 years.

MAF pilot John Lowe flies home over the ocean in East Timor.

Phil Andrews designed a stretcher to fit inside the plane used in Timor-Leste. MAF's aircraft overhaul and heavy maintenance base is at Mareeba, a small town and airfield 60 kilometres inland from Cairns in Far North Queensland.

John Lowe loads a Medivac stretcher designed specifically for this plane by designers in Mareeba Australia.

MAF Pilot Jason Job weighs passengers before boarding. Robert Yunupingu hold his 3-week old grandchild Winnifred. The programme in Arnhem Land is presently MAF’s biggest.

Rob Neil, store/parts manager, says Arnhem Land is the worst possible weather for plane parts with the humidity, heat, and dust from the mines. The parts room must be air conditioned 24/7.

Eric Koch fuels up a plane before parking it at the Gove airport in Arnhem Land.

The MAF Arnhem Land pilots have a standard-issue Australian hat they can wear, making the pilots look distinctly Australian.

Luggage is picked up in a tractor and taken to the housing for the MAF arrivals at Baniyala in Arnhem Land.

MAF pilot Bret Nel runs outreach programs in the homelands of Arnhem Land along with Gerard Bunumbirr, an Aborigine who became a Christian through the influence of a MAF pilot.

Arnhem Land homelands are spread out with little access inbetwen by road. The MAF planes are a lifeline and every homeland has an airstrip.

Peter Higham plays games with the kids during the Yirrkala Kids Club in Arnhem Land, Australia.

MAF Pilot, Jazlie Grygoruk lands at Lake Evela to drop off passengers. Jazlie and husband Ben have worked in Arnhem Land since 2005.

Lake Evella is an outpost where two MAF families are based. Pilot Daniel Roth’s adopted mother Lucy came for a visit along with Daniel's mother number 2, Penny, and sister Anna. Daniel has been based in Lake Evella for 6 years.

Jon Cadd, MAF US in Bunia, DR Congo

Jon Cadd, MAF US in Bunia, DR Congo

Jon Cadd, MAF US in Bunia, DR Congo

Jon Cadd, MAF US in Bunia, DR Congo, entertains children with magic tricks.

Jon Cadd, MAF US in Bunia, DR Congo

Jon Cadd, MAF pilot in Bunia, DR Congo, helps a local church set up an outdoor screen for showing a Christian movie.

Jon entertains kids with magic tricks.

MAF pilot Joey Lincoln pre-flights the plane in Bunia, DR Congo.

MAF pilot Joey Lincoln checks the engine on a pre-flight check.

MAF airstrip and hanger at Nyankunde, eastern Congo. This location was the main base until 2002 when a horrible massacre of thousands took place.

MAF airstrip at Nyankunde, eastern Congo.

MAF plane at Aru airstrip in eastern Congo.

Jon Cadd, MAF pilot in Aru, DR Congo.

MAF plane at Aru airstrip in eastern Congo.

MAF, Eastern Congo

MAF, Eastern Congo

MAF, Eastern Congo

Jon says goodbye to an eye doctor he has dropped off on a remote airstrip in the Ituri Forest of DR Congo.

Two nuns say goodbye before a MAF flight.

Jon Cadd chats with a nun on her way to home leave.

MAF Uganda medivacs a man to Uganda for emergency medical treatment.

Eight International Teams Canada passengers, are met at Kajo Keji in Sudan by a welcoming party. Samuel Balter says he never get tired of this sort of thing. It's his favorite part.

MAF Uganda Pilot, Laurie Nason, performs a pre-flight check of the Cessna Caravan at Kajjansi Airstrip in Uganda.

Passengers board at Kaabong Airstrip in Northern Uganda while Karamojong boys watch.

View of the Nile River after take off from Nimule in Sudan where Far Reaching Ministries works.

Martijn Verboom, Stan Lincoln, and Mark Newnham, MAF Uganda and MAF Congo mechanica, work daily keeping the airplanes running safely at the MAF hanger at Kajjansi airstrip.