MAF works on the basis that a staff member (pilot/engineer/manager) is supported in part by their home church (or other financial support that can be raised). You're right to say that it won't pay high rates.
This is what life is like in the NFP/Charity (esp Christian Mission) sector. You really do need some faith!
The news I forward below is of a recent accident in PNG resulting in the loss of a MAF pilot. The last paragraph may be of interest to any who feel called into this type of work.
Thanks,
Alan
Taken from last MAF bullitin:
Accident in Papua New Guinea
Early in the afternoon on Thursday 23 March, Swiss pilot Pierre Fasnacht was tragically killed in an accident in Papua New Guinea when his plane crashed near Tari airstrip in the Southern Highlands.
An emergency locator transmission was picked up and very quickly a helicopter flew and located the aircraft. The injured passengers were swiftly taken to Kudjip hospital near Mount Hagen.
The three passengers in Pierre’s flight had serious injuries but are recovering very well following surgery. One however is still paralysed from the waist down.
Our Safety Manager in PNG, John Wall visited the accident site together with Civil Aviation Authority investigators. Investigations continue into the cause of this tragic event.
A memorial service was held on Wednesday 29 March, commemorating the life of Pierre where family members joined with our team. Pierre has faithfully served remote communities of PNG for nearly 12 years. He was known and respected all over the country, not just as a dedicated pilot but also in his rôle as mission co-ordinator, organising 7,000 mission flights.
After the memorial service, Pierre’s body was flown back to Switzerland.
After suspending operations for a week, flights have slowly resumed. Before this tragic accident, our operation was acutely understaffed but now today we face further drastic cuts in flying as we are nine pilots short to fully use existing aircraft.