Mission Aviation Fellowship

On Saturday MAF dedicated their new plane - The Kodiak. Each time MAF adds a plane to their fleet, they dedicate the plane to God and his work. This time was no exception. As MAF president John Boyd put it "We are experiencing history". This is the first time that a plane has been engineered, created, and built for the sole purpose of furthering God's Kingdom. The Kodiak is impressive to see and look at. We are all excited about the new addition. MAF has 15 more Kodiaks on order.

We were all able to check out the new plane. Will spent quite a bit of time explaining all the controls to Rygh.
Rygh is standing in front of the Cessna 206. This is considered the "workhorse" aircraft of MAF's fleet and is being used for most of their missions throughout the world.


As you can see the Kodiak is much bigger and can be of more use in the remote areas.
One of the reasons that Mission Aviation Fellowship wanted a Jet engine plane was because of the cost savings in the jet fuel. ($4/gal) Jet fuel is easier to come by in underdeveloped countries. All of the 206's use Aviation Gas, which can cost up to $13 per gallon in some countries.

Even though the day was mostly raining and overcast, quite a few people showed up for the dedication. John Boyd recognized a father and son that drove all the way from Sacramento California for the event. The son, who is only 14, wants to be a MAF pilot, and is a faithful supporter.After the dedication we took a tour of the headquarters. Rygh was able to see the wreckage from Nate Saints plane. He was a MAF missionary pilot in Ecuador. The movie "End of the Spear" was about his life and work and that of his family, in the mission field. It was an incredible movie.
We were glad to be a part of the celebration and can't wait to be more involved in this ministry!