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Kid's Dream of Flying Soars to New Heights
REDLANDS, CA (October 7, 2005) - Kevin Swanson was in the junior high group at
Peninsula Covenant Church when a missionary from Japan challenged him
and others to consider foreign missions.
"That was the first time I began to consciously thinking about it,"
Swanson says. That consciousness grew when he decided to write his
confirmation paper on missions. A turning point came during his junior
year of high school when he met several men who were training to be
missionary aviators.
Those early introductions led to Swanson flying in remote areas of the
world with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF). During a special service
in March this year, at the age of 50, he was installed as the president
and chief executive officer of the organization.
Once a pilot and mechanic, he now oversees a fleet of 56 aircraft in 16
countries in some of the poorest and most remote areas of Africa, Asia,
Eurasia and Latin America. Each year, those planes fly more than 3.2
million miles across jungles and inaccessible terrain to support some
600 Christian and humanitarian agencies.
The organization also provides communication services to remote areas
worldwide including email, HF/VHF radios, Internet access and distance
education. "We make sure the missionaries have what they need to do
their jobs," Swanson says. "We also fly a lot of medical emergency flights."
Swanson and wife, Linda, joined MAF in 1979. They had wanted to serve
Covenant missionaries in Congo, but the organization assigned him to
Venezuela instead. He ultimately served 10 years in Venezuela and two
years in Ecuador. He held management positions as program manager in
Venezuela, area manager for South America, regional director for Latin
America and vice chairman of the MAF Board of Directors. Linda, who has
counseled new MAF staff prior to their departure overseas, continues to
be active in the ministry. She counsels staff, leads women's retreats
and addresses church groups.
Swanson has been recognized by those with whom he works for his
compassion, but the highest praise comes from those closest to him. "My
brother is not one to toot his own horn," says Tammy Swanson-Draheim,
pastor of the Evangelical Covenant Church in Mason City, Iowa. "I, on
the other hand, cannot say enough about what a godly, humble,
extraordinary person he is."
Still supported financially as any other missionary, Swanson says
Peninsula Covenant has been important to his ministry, at times
providing up to 80 percent of his support. "It's been a great sending
church for us."
When he expressed interest in aviation ministry, his then-pastor Paul
Larsen encouraged him to attend the best school possible, which was
Moody Bible College. "Moody has been the largest supplier of missionary
aviators to the missionary community," Swanson says. He could not have
known then that in 2003, while a board member of MAF, he would be asked
to be the interim executive and then serve in the position permanently.
"I like the fact that we are a very broad-based organization," Swanson
says. Still, he adds, "we're a very small organization. There are only
200 families in all of MAF." The small organization has a budget that
would be daunting to some - $29 million, of which the staff raises $12
million for their support. Donors contribute a great deal to the
operating costs and other expenses are covered by income from agencies
MAF serves, Swanson says.
The large budget is needed because airplanes are expensive. "We never
buy on credit," he says. "We always use the cash we have on hand." MAF
controls costs by purchasing used, low-mileage aircraft. The backbone of
the fleet is the Cessna 206, a six-passenger plane that Swanson refers
to as "your typical bush plane." Each plane costs about $300,000 and
must be modified to satisfy special specifications, which raises the
cost to $400,000. Just flying the plane costs an average of $120 to $150
an hour, he says.
MAF also flies the turbine-powered Cessna Caravan, which Swanson says is
fuel efficient but requires a longer airstrip. The plane costs $1.2
million. It must be altered so that it can carry passengers or cargo,
which costs another $200,000 to accomplish. "You need to be able to
remove the seats and have tie downs."
Twin-engine pressurized airplanes are used to fly over the high
mountains of Afghanistan, Swanson says. "It's one of the riskier areas
we are flying," he adds.
Keeping the planes flying can be difficult. "In Mali, you're literally
in the middle of the Sahara," Swanson says. "Sometimes it's a challenge
just to get parts." Like Swanson, 95 percent of the pilots also are
mechanics.
Serving in so many poor areas can be trying to a person's faith, Swanson
admits. "To keep one's own relationship with the Lord strong is
foundational. You can just be given to despair." But, he says, "There's
always a bright spot there."
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