History of MAF

At the end of World War II, several Christian military airmen, encouraged by missionary George Fisk, sought to combine their religious faith and their love of flying by using the airplane to reach out in Christian love to isolated people.  

In 1945, pilots in Australia, the UK and the United States formed Missionary Aviation Fellowship. It was in 1946 when MAF officially began operations into Latin America with Betty Greene piloting the inaugural flight to Mexico.  

Throughout the late 1940s and into the early 1950s, MAF began ministering throughout Africa, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia.  

In 1956, MAF made headlines through the tragic deaths of five missionaries (including MAF pilot Nate Saint) while trying to bring the news of God's love to the Auca tribe in Ecuador, South America.  

In the 1960s, MAF’s name was shortened to Mission Aviation Fellowship.  

To serve the growing number of Canadians working with MAF projects worldwide, Mission Aviation Fellowship of Canada was formed in 1972.

The work of MAF in providing support to relief and development organizations proved invaluable during the disastrous earthquakes, hurricanes, and famines of the 1980s. During this time, MAF began using larger aircraft like the Twin Otter and the Beech 99.  

In 1989, Mission Aviation Fellowship of Canada began using a Cessna Caravan in a new work in the drought stricken and war-torn African country of Angola.  

Today, MAF is a global ministry partnership, serving the aviation needs of over 35 countries from head offices in Australia, Canada, Europe, South Africa, and the United States.

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