Faith-based Aviation: An Ethnographic Study of Missionary Flights International

Abstract

The development of faith-based missionary aviation is a post-World War II phenomenon. The war effort demonstrated the value, utility, and global reach of aviation to remote, underdeveloped areas of the world. With the beginnings of a worldwide infrastructure for aviation, Christian aviators realized aviation could increase the range and effectiveness of their efforts to reach the world for Christ (Mellis, 2006).

A qualitative, ethnographic study was conducted to document the activities of one faith-based aviation organization to gain an understanding of this little known-aspect of civilian aviation. The study was conducted with Missionary Flights International (MFI) of Fort Pierce, Florida, which has been involved in faith-based missionary aviation since its inception in 1964.

A constant comparative method was utilized to identify common elements, themes and patterns; common threads woven throughout the fabric of the organization and its culture. With the use of triangulation, three sides of input data from interviews, questionnaires and observations, two general phenomena, aviation and missions, each with six related categories emerged, describing the organization. MFI provides twice a week service to the island of Hispaniola and the Republic of Haiti. In this in-depth study, insight and understanding were gained into the purpose of MFI, its
daily routines and operations, and the challenges it faces in maintaining its flight services to Haiti.