Aviation for Women is the flagship member publication of Women in Aviation International. Articles feature women who have made aviation history, professional development ideas, and current-topic articles.
Issue link: https://afwdigital.epubxp.com/i/715635
48 Aviation forWomen S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 6 beauty New Zealand has to offer, it is time to spread my wings a little further. I have been accepted into Mission Aviation Fel- lowship (MAF), and am due to be sent overseas to South Su- dan in the coming weeks. When I was 7 years old watching The Flying Doctors on tele- vision I would never have thought I would actually one day have the opportunity to fly for an orga- nization such as MAF. Not coming from a wealthy family, flying seemed like a pipe dream at best. However, dreams tend to have a way of niggling at the back of your mind until you finally de- cide to put one foot in front of the oth- er and just go for it, hoping it will work out and fighting tooth and nail along the way to make sure it does. It took me a few years to wake up to that fact. I ended up leaving school, do- ing some study, and getting a 9-to-5 job at an insurance broker. Life was good, but it was never quite complete. I knew I wasn't fulfilled in what I was doing. It wasn't my passion. When I was in my mid-20s I came across a book on MAF. Reading it re- ignited my desire to fly, and it brought together both my love for flying and the humanitarian aspect in missions—helping those in our world who are in a less fortunate circumstance. From there, my focus has been on one day getting the op- portunity to fly for them. I am a Christian who believes in sharing the love Jesus Christ showed me with those around me in practical ways. And what better way than being able to use my skill set as a pilot to actively help others in need. MAF was started by a couple of Kiwi pilots at the end of World War II. At a time when aircraft were being used for death and destruction, Murray Kendon and Trevor Strong de- cided they could also be used to bring life and hope, especial- ly to isolated communities. And so MAF began, and exists to this day with the same vision—to bring physical and spiritual transformation to isolated people in remote areas of our world. MAF essentially acts like a link in a chain, connecting those who can help with those who need help. We fly 140 planes to 35 countries around the world, enabling over 1,500 organiza- tions to do their work in areas where without an aircraft it would be extremely difficult, and sometimes impossible, to get help where it needs to go. MAF has more aircraft movements per day than any other airline in the world, with an aircraft taking off some- where in the world every three minutes. South Sudan became a countr y in 2011, af ter brea k ing away f rom t he North following years of conflict. Even now there are eruptions of civil war pe- riodically. Due to this, the country is in serious neglect with a lack of infrastruc- ture development, destruction due to war, and displacement of many people. All of this has created one of the worst food crises the world has seen. The needs there are great and ground transportation is difficult. I count it a privilege to be called to serve the peo- ple of South Sudan, and to help them in whatever way I can. All going to plan, I should be sent off to Mareeba (near Cairns), Australia, for MAF flight train- ing, then onward to the U.K., Kenya, and Uganda to complete training, testing, certificate conversion, and a C-208 Caravan rating, before finally getting on the field in South Sudan hope- fully sometime in October. Now is the time to step out and continue the journey that began all those years ago. I am looking forward to using my skills in aviation to get out and help those in need in our world, both physically and spiritually. ✈ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mel Laird, WAI 65056, is a missionary pilot with Mission Avi- ation Fellowship. If you would like to know more and keep up to date with MAF and what flying and living in South Sudan is like, please check out Mel's blog at https://AFlyingHand. wordpress.com. F or the past couple of summers I have been working for the Kaikoura Aero Club in the South Island of New Zealand, keep- ing very busy taking people to see our amazing whales, dolphins, and scenic coastline, as well as instructional flights in and around the beautiful Kaikouras. As much as I have loved giving people their first taste of flight, and enjoying the incredible FLYING WITH PURP OSE I N O U R O W N W O R D S I N O U R O W N W O R D S M E L L A I R D Mission Aviation Fellowship essentially acts like a link in a chain, connecting those who can help with those who need help. We fly 140 planes to 35 countries around the world.