High time pilot looking for info on volunteer organizations
 

Can someone PM me if they have some information on any organizations that can use a high time volunteer pilot with lots of turboprop and bush time? My company is offering a voluntary leave of absence (usually comes before a furlough). I'm thinking about taking one for a couple of years and would like to come fly in Africa for a while as a volunteer. I've also got a mechanics license as well if that matters. I look forward to any info anyone can pass on. Thanks in advance....

Mission Aviation Fellowship SA

Try these guys.

Mission Aviation Fellowship (noted above) is about the only organization I know of that utilizes 'volunteer' pilots. They are a respectable organization with very high standards, however, it is a prerequsite that you are an active 'Christian' with a capital C - I believe that the various volunteers (pilots, engineers, etc.) are also expected to organize funding from their local church congregation in their home country to cover travel costs, living expenses, etc. That's not meant to be a criticism of the organization, it's just the way it is.

Outside of MAF, I'm not aware of any aviation operations in Africa that use 'volunteers', regardless of how great their experience may be. Normally, humanitarian and non-governmental organizations who need aircraft for development, disaster relief, or war relief activities contract out their aircraft requirements to local businesses. This model is followed worldwide.

Try Aviation Sans Frontiers they have two caravans based in DRC flying with Volunteer pilots - mostly ex Air france retiree's but I have seen a few young guys there over the years - planes are F - (French) registered -

The guys from Amref in Kenya also used to be Volunteer pilots when I was there long ago - might have changed though??

Hope this helps...

Hey thank you all for your positive inputs... sometimes that's not the case here. I'll look into these.

From the MAF website:

'Missionaries are the major focus of our work'

Here in Africa, there are many who, respecting the native and his culture throughout the world, would wish to see missionaries at the least as an endangered species and preferrably an extinct one.

Looks like these guys (UK version of Aviation sans Frontieres) are actually looking for pilots.

Red Cross
 

Try Red Cross Air mercy service based out of Cape Town

I believe that the SA Red Cross Air Mercy Service (AMS) uses volunteers for the medical support functions (e.g. paramedic and similar), but the pilots are career employees. I may be wrong... but, I will also guess that fluency in one of the official languages of South Africa is also a prerequsite, and that might be tough for the original poster, unless by chance he happens to be a South African citizen.

If you are looking for a VPO in your area, I'm the Director of Flight Operations for a Youth STEM based VPO, STEM Flights (STEMFlights.org).
STEM Flights is a national nonprofit organization that connects Middle and High School students with volunteer Pilot Mentors to learn about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). We inspire America’s youth to pursue STEM and aviation careers with a unique flight experience.

We are accredited with STEM.org and a Corporate Member National Science Teaching Association. We have students all over the U.S. and would love to have PPR members as Mentor Pilots to inspire the next generation of aviators.​​​​​​

people who call Africans “natives” should be extinct. I found that the church groups in Africa are more productive and respected by many levels above what the multitude of NGO and UN groups. The Christian groups have an idealistic view rather than privileged white people on a paid vacation mentality. I’ve been in Africa for over a decade. The worst human beings and most racist individuals I have encountered have been from “aid groups” from the west. I’ll take a church group any day over a well funded and poorly managed alphabet aid agency.

Need to be missionary or can non thiest brother apply?

MAF require you to be a particularly virulent species of god-botherer. Their people are missionaries who fly.
I'm sure they do some good but that sort of crusading, blinkered cultural arrogance surely has no place in the modern world.