Covenant News

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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