MAF/pilot shortage

[surfnole]

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. I was very disturbed to find out that they are only meeting 40% of their needs for pilots.
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I don't think its surprising considering the qualifications they require...Mainly a 40-50K investment in training with no guarantee that you would ever even be hired by MAF. I checked into it a few years back and the requirements were

1) 12 hours of Bible college - OK, I can knock that out while working full time

2) Commercial, preferably CFI. This would not be hard to get from where I stand now, and it can be done while working

3) A&P - From their website today:

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So no matter what you may have heard, we do require the A&P license.
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My research indicates that this is a 12-24 month full time program. Little opportunity for work. If I gave up an income for that time and received my A&P, there was no certainty that I would ever be accepted by MAF. I would have little use for an A&P outside this requirement. Essentially, one two two years of my life could be wasted with no income and large cash outflow pursuing this requirement.

I realize the necessity of this requirement, but its difficult to accept paying all those costs with no assurance they will pay off in the end.

I think MAF is a great organization, and I support an MAF pilot. I'd love to go on a 2-3 year mission and try it out, but I'm not sure I'd want to go through that investment without some assurance I would reach the goal. The same reason I gave up pursuing aviation as a career.

 

[TurboS7]

You only get anywhere in aviation with Perserverance.

 

[Timebuilder]

I realize the necessity of this requirement, but its difficult to accept paying all those costs with no assurance they will pay off in the end.

Well, let's see. If by "pay off," you mean that you get to fly for MAF, then there is no guarantee. Certainly, with an A&P and twenty or thirty working years ahead of you, you can have a career. Bob Jones University has a Mission Aviation major, but I'd be hard pressed to find a student there whose main concern is if it would somehow "pay off" to have the degree. I'm equally certain that the better approach is to be willing to take God's direction in this matter. If you are intended to fly for missions, you will, if you hold up your end. It is just as possible that your place is elsewhere.

 

[surfnole]

My situation was a little different than the student who can easily restart any career if one option doesn't work out, or who could use the A&P in a regular job or puruse non mission aviation opportunities. I was looking at leaving a career with family/etc. The only reason to obtain the A&P would have been to get into missionary flying. I had no interest in being an A&P otherwise, and not a lot of interest in being another type of missionary permanently. I still plan to go on a one year mission trip somewhere, perhaps with MAF.

I am one of those Christian's who has never strongly felt God's calling in my life. I know many who claim that God led them here and God led them there, and I think to myself....perhaps its just you who wanted to go there/do that and ask God to bless it. I don't doubt that it happens, I've just not seen it much in my life.

 

[onthebeach]

I am still praying for you, Avbug.

 

[avbug]

Save it. Go thump your bible some place else. Everytime one of you guys picks it up, the pounding give me a headache. Or perhaps that's heartache. You're the one who pronounced that I have the devil in my heart...remember?

I said it before, and I still maintain, that bible fanatics and Jesus freaks give Christianity a bad name. Zealots are all alike...muslim, christian, whatever.

I spent dedicated time doing exclusive service for my beliefs, and don't regret it. That you don't recognize that service in your own twisted viewpoint means nothing to me. It's a personal issue, none of your business.

I am not in need of your salvation, nor do I want to hear about it.

See you in hell, brightspark.

 

[mattfish42]

Surfnole, I think I can identify with what you're saying. It looks like missionary flying will involve a great deal of sacrifice. It would be foolish to sacrifice so much time, effort, comfort, and money without being certain that this is God's plan for me. On the other hand, I definitely don't want to pull a Jonah and say "forget it."

I need a few hundred more hours to hit MAF's minimums. That's ok, I was planning on getting that experience in the next couple years anyway. I need some bible college. That's ok, I was planning on doing that soon. I need to get my student loans paid off. Hmm, that one might not be so ok... that's going to take many years at the rate I'm going.

In the future, I would hate to look back at my aviation career and realize that all I had done was play with big shiny toys. I would also hate to look back at a gargantuan mistake that cost me years of my life spent someplace I wasn't supposed to be.

Need some wisdom here. Better pray.

By the way, Turbo, the various pilot/mechanics profiled at those websites all seem to be married with kids. Do you know whether MAF and JAARS consider that to be some evidence of the spiritual maturity they require? If so, I guess I need to add "get a wife" to my to-do list.

 

[Timebuilder]

I said it before, and I still maintain, that bible fanatics and Jesus freaks give Christianity a bad name. Zealots are all alike...muslim, christian, whatever.

No, any more than pilots are alike. Or airplanes.

A lot of people look at Hare Krishnas, Presbyterians, or monkey worshippers and think that these are all ways to the same result, and that a moderate, accepting, homogenized view of spiritual matters is somehow "good" and "equivalent."

Bull.

The purpose of the Bible, one can easily determine by a little study, is to lay out a history of God's relationship to man, and to proscribe the method that God desires His creation to worship and conform to His plans. It is simple and complete. No other doctrine, no other name, no other "book." Period.

"Zealot" is being used here as a perjorative term, an intended insult, and "Christian" is mentioned next to others in the above post as an "also ran" competitor, in a vain attempt to belittle one who believes the Word. Nice try. This is like taking, say, a list of caregivers, and comparing them on effectiveness. "Those voodoo priests, medical doctors, and crystal therapy people, they're all alike." No, not so. One of that list has the aspect of objective truth and effectiveness of preserving life on a regular basis. So is the one group that follows the truth of God, an objective and complete truth that stands alone.

Now, here in America, you are free to follow just about any belief you want. That freedom does not make that belief right. Only God determines that, and communicates it in His Word.

As for a family being a requirement for missions work, I'd say I have seen exceptions. Not many, but I HAVE seen them.

If you choose to remain set on MAF, I'd start talking to them now about a time table and a mentoring track that will help you conform to whatever standard they set for their organization.

 

[Cat Driver]

Only the bible is the true book to follow?

Therein lies the problem that we have, try and convince, say, the muslims of that.

Cat.

 

[TurboS7]

Many missionaries are single. My daughter is a perfect example, 25 blond hair, blue eyes, 125lbs and lives in the boonies in Africa. If you were a single pilot and landed at her strip to fly here out someday wouldn't you be surprised.Generally the missions don't let you date per say as if gives the wrong impression especially like someplace like Africa.But there are other ways.... There are several pilots that worked for me that found their wives in Africa. Interesting stories.You might want to try AirServ them move to MAF. AirServ pays you howbeit at little but you would get a little taste of mission operations. AirServ is very much more hard core and mostly does humanitarian work. MAF is more family oriented.