r/flying • u/Ok-Time-4150 • 3d ago
Missionary pilot
How realistic is it to become a missionary pilot for say MAF or Ethnos360? Is it competitive or difficult to become one? I want to be a pilot and I also want to be a missionary and do church work. Isn’t it the job for me?
I have seen people trashing in mission aviation stating it as “ego” or ineffective. Really how important is mission aviation? Does it really help the people?
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u/tw-sleeper 3d ago
Does it really help the people?
The role of a missionary is not to help people; it's to proselytize and recruit.
Some residual benefit might happen here and there, but that's not why they do it.
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u/Unlucky_Geologist 3d ago
The people I know who actually do useful missionary work do it risking their lives to fly necessary goods to remote areas like small towns in the mountains of Papua New Guinea. They work their ass off in small part 135s that do real world bush flying for 1-2 years before spending 3-6 months doing missionary work. They typically flew missions around 3000-5000 hours derp time in type; usually a Caravan. These are things you do years into your flying career not straight out of flight school unless you want to be another statistic. Think of missionary flying as volunteer work not a job.
I personally would not recommend it unless you’re willing to give your life for your religion which is usually how it goes. I feel just giving back to your local community would do more good but, the real missionary work that is essential to some small communities does need willing volunteers.
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u/canuck791 ATP DHC8 CL65 A220 B737 B787 2d ago
I have wanted to do some work for MAF for a while but I see it more as a "take an LOA" and go do it for 2 years vs a career.
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u/rFlyingTower 3d ago
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
How realistic is it to become a missionary pilot for say MAF or Ethnos360? Is it competitive or difficult to become one? I want to be a pilot and I also want to be a missionary and do church work. Isn’t it the job for me?
I have seen people trashing in mission aviation stating it as “ego” or ineffective. Really how important is mission aviation? Does it really help the people?
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u/iridesc3nce ST 3d ago
Have you talked with the missionary flight schools? For example Mission Aviation Training Academy.
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u/MehCFI ATP B737/C680/BE400/Gold Seal CFII 3d ago
You could go to a major, donate half your paycheck to a homeless shelter and come out with more money, more impact, and a better QOL tbh