Mission Aviation Fellowship

Mission Aviation Fellowship founded 1944 as Christian Airmen's Missionary Fellowship; name changed to Missionary Aviation Fellowship, 1947, and to Mission Aviation Fellowship, 1973.

Nondenominational agency providing aviation services to mission agencies; incorporated May 20, 1945; initially staffed by former World War II pilots; provided aerial transportation, ambulance service, supply lines to remote areas, cooperative medical and dental services to rural and frontier stations, and surveying of potential sites for new missionary efforts; also operated a radio communications network, maintained its planes and airstrips and lent personnel to sister MAF groups; principle service to mission stations, but also to governments and on non-mission assignments; presidents of MAF were James Truxton (1945-1949), Grady Parrott (1949-1970), Charles Mellis (1970-1973), Charles Bennett (1973-1985), Max Meyers (1985-1997), Gary Bishop (1998-2004), Kevin Swanson (2004-2007), John Boyd (2008- ); headquarters located in Nampa, Idaho (following Los Angeles, Fullerton, and Redlands,California); field bases established in various countries; named Christian Airmen's Missionary Fellowship until 1947 when it changed to Mission Aviation Fellowship; public relations and information productions include publications (MISSION AVIATION, WINGS OF PRAISE AND PRAYER and PRAISE AND PRAYER BRIEFINGS), films and books; provided air transportation, ambulance service, and supply lines to remote areas; brought cooperative medical and dental service to rural and frontier stations depending on air transport; and surveyed possible sites of new mission endeavor; also operated a radio communications network, maintained its airstrips, and lent personnel to sister MAF groups; worked in cooperation with independent sister organizations in Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Holland, Finland, Surinam, Mexico, Brazil, and South Africa; provided rescue during political uprisings, and relief for famine and drought, floods, hurricanes and earthquakes.