Anything besides Air Serv? Not to beat a dead horse...

[Plane-Trouble]

I don't intend for this forum to beat a dead horse with respect to the Air Serv deal... That thread was depressing...

I hold FAA commercial: ASEL/ASES/AMEL/AMES, CFI/CFII/MEI, AGI/IGI ratings and I would like to fly for a relief/humanitarian organization in Africa... And Air Serv seems to be the one that keeps coming up in searches...

Are there any other organizations that are any better and if so please speak your peace.... I am curious...

[kennyd]

Try Mission Aviation Fellowship - MAF - they have a couple of different branches throught the world UK, USA, Africa and I think Asia Pacific so have a couple of websites, can get to them from www.maf.org

Good luck

[WhinerLiner]

Take whatever you read on the forum with a big pinch of salt. Nerry is a nice word said about any operator, so its just Airserv's turn in the spotlight. Airserv is not a bad outfit, they have their challenges, but there are far far worse.

The spelling alone should give you an idea of the intellect of the authors. Maybe your opinion should be formed through chatting to a few people of a little more substance, perhaps even a few who don't fling their mud from behind the safe wall of anonymity.

[Shiny Side Up]

From what I understand, MAF is Airserv, or rather Airserv is run by a bunch of MAF cronies. Someone with more knowledge on this will chime in, I'm sure...

[BEEDEE]

No!!! MAF is definitely not Airserv. Two totally separate organisations. I say this based on my association with MAF over many years. However, they do cooperate with each other in terms of their individual facilities, for example, maintenance, when operating in each other's areas, for example, northern Mocambique.

Both do GREAT humanitarian work!!!

I'm not sure what Airserv's pilot entry requirements are but I am aware that MAF's are pretty stringent. Nevertheless, in either case, VERY rewarding flying and highly commendable organisations, to be sure.

:ok::ok::ok:

[I.R.PIRATE]

Yeah, extremely rewarding if you can live without money...:ugh::hmm:

[MungoP]

Here we go again... PLANE TROUBLE, take the opportunity to read through some of the threads relating to AirServ... you'l find about 80% are positive and the rest are either misinformed or relating to a few guys who fell out with the company for whatever reason... it happens.
MAF is from my understanding a religious based organisation that puts spreading the word as its main priority and does good work as well... I believe that you do not get paid by MAF, you arrange sponsorship from the congregation of your local church ... but I may be wrong just as those who've never worked with ASI (AirServ) are mostly wrong.

Those of us that have worked with ASI did so because we needed a change, wanted some interesting flying in places we wouldn't otherwise get to see and generally, at times where money was not a big issue...
BY FAR, the overwhelming majority of us have never regretted it.... and have made some good friends.
If you can afford to ignore the money issue I suggest that you contact them.

[BEEDEE]

True about the salaries, I.R.PIRATE. You definitely won't get rich.

I know nothing about Air Serv salaries, other than the information I gleaned on the other Air Serv thread. If you get into MAF, they give you a number as a salary and you then have to go out and raise your own support for that amount from friends, church, etc. before MAF will confirm your appointment with them. That's just the way they work - and always have, very successfully. MAF have had 1000's of pilots world-wide over the years, since about 1946 when MAF started, who have operated happily on that system. It's no doubt that pilots who fly for MAF, do so because of their belief in what MAF stands for and not because they are in it to become rich. All credit to them for adopting that attitude, IMHO.

[dynamite dean]

I liked my time there a couple of years ago.
Salary well its all been done to death but when I left

Caravan Captains were on 2300US per month plus 20US per day per diem accomadation is free of course.

King Air captains were on 2800ish US per month

remember there are R and R perks in certain Programs and good saftey record over the years. does it pay the best...well no of course it doesnt but its more of a vocation to be there too rather than going on a 6 week on and off sort of thing.And remeber its tax free for most of us so the reality is that you live of your per diem and bank your salary.

requirements check there website and send your CV in your still interested.:ok:

[V1... Ooops]

I have had some exposure to MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) in the past, both as an instructor, training their pilots at FlightSafety, and as an auditor, surveying their operations in different countries.

To the best of my knowledge (I don't claim to be an expert), MAF is sort of a federation of MAF 'cells' that are organized in different countries - for example, MAF Canada, MAF Australia, MAF Belgium, and so on. Each country operates autonomously, but there is quite a bit of support provided by the central federation - mostly in the area of training, audit, and quality control.

I have always been very impressed with the MAF pilots I have met, and the MAF maintenance facilities I have visited. I get the impression that they are very professional.

They are, first and foremost, a missionary organization. Their unique niche is to promote Christianity by providing air services either to other Christian or humanitarian organizations, or to the general public if there is no other air service available. The pilots are missionaries first and pilots second, although there is no question at all that they are very professional pilots. Each pilot is sponsored by a church in their home country who funds the pilot's travel to the site, wages, living expenses, and so forth. That is the norm for conventional missionaries as well.

A fine organization, nice people, superb maintenance, but for sure, it is a religious organization. They don't 'hire pilots'.