You don’t have to fly a plane, to help end global isolation

This article was written for Global Connections by MAF Co-Pilot Department Manager Rebecca Walker.

Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) is the world’s largest humanitarian air operator. Flying over deserts, jungles, and mountains, MAF enables around 1,500 partner organisations to bring medical care, emergency relief, and long-term development. Their pilots and personnel deliver relief workers, doctors, pastors, school-books, food, medicines – everything that can only be safely and speedily delivered by air. Their faithful supporters give and pray to make this all possible.

Through flight, MAF enables practical help, physical healing, and spiritual hope to be delivered to some of the world’s most remote and inaccessible communities.

Epic stuff...but how does Gen Z fit into MAF's vision?

MAF Co-Pilot is a new initiative, exclusively for youth and young adults. A growing community of active young people who share MAF’s vision that every community, however remote, should have the essentials for life. They want to do something about it now, using their own platforms, skills, and passion to help MAF serve thousands of people living in isolation around the world.

MAF Co-Pilot exists to support young people as they step out in faith and respond to God’s call. MAF Co-Pilot aims to create a great space where they feel equipped to solve the challenges of global isolation.

Watch the MAF Co-Pilot video now.

Can one young person really make a dent in reducing global isolation?

Absolutely.

MAF Co-Pilot sees young people not just as 'the future’, but as a driving force for change now.

Gen Z’s passion and creativity have challenged MAF to look beyond traditional definitions of ‘mission work’. Together, we’re discovering the limitless ways that God invites us to serve, both locally and globally.

The MAF Co-Pilot community keeps MAF’s vision accountable. They bring authenticity, energy and a passion to serve God, using their skills creatively to support MAF’s life-saving work.

Whether you have a gift in storytelling, leadership, digital content creation, prayer, aviation, or you’re insanely good at the guitar… you weren’t designed to just be a consumer. God intentionally created you with passions, skills and ideas, to build up others and bring His hope to hard to reach places.

When just one person steps out in faith and uses the gifts God has given them, transformation happens!

What can you expect from MAF Co-Pilot?

A growing community of young adults passionate about MAF’s vision!

• Connect with young people committed to ending isolation.

• Hang out on Instagram and Discord, share stories, swap ideas, and be part of a movement telling the incredible stories of the people MAF serves.

• Come along to our in-person events, mostly fuelled by worship and pizza, to meet with our amazing members and be encouraged by the work of MAF.

Equipping future volunteers & leaders

• Discover your strengths: digital, creative, spiritual, practical, relational... and how God can use them locally and globally.

• Dive into the MAF Co-Pilot Leadership Course: explore your calling, your gifts, and God’s heart for mission.

• Learn about servant-hearted leadership, communication, and what leadership in action looks like in some of the countries MAF works in.

• Access quality training and mentorship to equip you for volunteering.

Volunteer and fundraising opportunities

• Represent MAF Co-Pilot at festivals, youth groups, CUs, and events. Whether you love creating videos, building Lego planes, or chatting with young people about their calling, each role has an impact.

• Join fundraising challenges like The Isolation Trial or organise your own fundraiser to keep our planes flying!

• Grab a free MAF Co-Pilot hoodie when you sign up to donate £5 a month.

Training and careers with MAF

• Explore a wide range of roles across MAF worldwide - from digital content creation in the UK office to engineering in a hot Ugandan hangar.

• Visit our flight training centre in the Netherlands to find out what it takes to become an MAF pilot or engineer overseas. Find out more.

• Discover MAF’s pilot and engineer training schemes, designed to invest in those who strongly feel God’s calling to serve MAF.

Want to support MAF Co-Pilot today? Here’s how:

1. Become a Co-Pilot member (no costs involved!). Sign up to join our community here
2. Invite us to speak: Book a FREE MAF Co-Pilot speaker for your CU or church. Challenge your group to imagine what it feels like to live in isolation (No WiFi, hospitals, or supermarkets!)
3. Stay connected: Follow us on Instagram and Discord to get inspired and keep up to date with all MAF Co-Pilot news and future opportunities.

MAF Co-Pilot were one of the big sponsors at Satellites in 2025