The need for a Flight Service to assist in mission work in Zambia had been recognized by several people for a number of years. As the vision developed, Bruce Poidevin had a personal exercise to purchase a plane and so in Feb 1993 CMML Flight Service came into being. Its purpose was to provide a high quality flight service and related support facilities for the Christian Brethren, (CMML) assembly missionary work in Zambia. Air transport provided a quick and safe means of moving personnel, patients and supplies around the country. In the first 12 months, the plane logged 350 hours, and has averaged over 430 flying hours per year since then. Some cross country journeys would have not been tackled if done by road. Early in 1993, a committee was formed to help run the Flight Service. It was composed of missionaries in Zambia from brethren assemblies in Canada, United Kingdom and the United States.

CMML Mission in Zambia
C.M.M.L. became active in what is now N.W. Zambia (formerly Northern Rhodesia) in 1906 when Dr. Walter Fisher founded Kalene Hospital, followed by Sakeji School. About the same time in the N.E., which is now the Luapula Province, Mambilima Mission Hospital and district school networks were commenced. C.M.M.L. was the name chosen by the early missionaries when the government requested that all brethren assemblies be registered. Many schools, training institutions, hospitals and clinics, as well as Bible training facilities quickly followed these throughout Zambia.

After Zambia's independence, the Ministry of Education absorbed most of the day schools. However the Zambian government encourages us as a Mission to continue to put a major emphasis on education. Many of our missionary staff still voluntarily teach in local primary and secondary schools, filling the need of providing Religious Education required by the government. This provides an excellent opportunity for presenting the Gospel.

During the past 100 years of the mission, it has been a struggle to co-ordinate our scattered activities because of the time and energy expended in travel over great distances on primitive roads subject to seasonal weather variations. For many years there was a growing interest to establish a flight service that could alleviate some of the transport difficulties since no suitable facility existed in Zambia.

CMML Flight Service

          

Over a number of years several people had recognized the need for a Flight Service to assist in mission work in Zambia. The late Paul Logan, former missionary to Zambia, envisioned this need over 50 years ago. In 1988, missionary pilot and mechanic, John Loudon, came to Zambia to assess the need of a Flight Service. John found that the need was great, but the door was not open at that time. John was accepted with MAF in Tanzania and received 7 years of valuable experience until the door to Zambia finally opened.

Bruce Poidevin, missionary to Zambia and a qualified pilot, also had this vision. He started flying in 1978 with the goal of using this skill for the Lord. He was encouraged by fellow missionaries to get his Zambian pilot's license, which he did in 1987. He committed all his available resources, and the CMML Flight Service began operation in 1993 when an eight-seater Cessna 207 was purchased. Almost 6000 flying hours have been flown to-date.

Because of the high cost of maintenance, it became apparent that a hangar and maintenance facility was needed. The construction of the hangar commenced in 1995 and has been completed. A full-time Zambian mechanic was hired in 1994. Because of the Lord's provision through His servants, we are now fully equipped to do all our own maintenance, with only few exceptions, i.e. avionics, instruments, and engine rebuilding. In May 2002, we were approved by the DCA (Department of Civil Aviation) as an AMO (Aircraft Maintenance Organization). This enables us now to perform our own Certificate of Airworthiness inspections and engine changes. We also hope to be of benefit to others in the aviation community, which would help our overhead expenses.

SIM, formally AEF (Africa Evangelical Fellowship) has had an air service for their missionaries for many years. CMML missionaries have used the AEF plane many times in the past. However, it became obvious that we needed our own Flight Service, so the CMML Flight Service began. This was confirmed to us after our first year of operation when we found out that we had flown more hours than AEF regularly flew per year.

MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) came into the country in 1996. In less than two years, they left the country and they started focusing their vision on other areas. Besides the Catholics, CMML and SIM are the two largest missions in Zambia and are able to meet their own flying needs. Because of the need in Zambia, Flying Mission from Botswana has recently come into the country and they have taken over the SIM aviation program.