ABWE's first interest in aviation was in 1948 with the opening of Dutch New Guinea (later called Irian Jaya, now Papua).  Dr. Harold Commons, mission President, invited Nate Saint to initiate the aviation ministry (see Jungle Pilot pages 135-137).  However, Nate felt called of God to go to Ecuador.  On January 8, 1956 Nate died in Operation Auca.

In 1958, ABWE asked Hank Scheltema to open an aviation ministry in Amazonas, Brazil. He arrived in 1960, using a 1948 Aeronca Sedan equipped with floats.  In his second term, Terry Bowers and a Cessna 185 on floats arrived to join the team.  Over the next few years, ABWE expanded its aviation ministry to Colombia and the Philippine Islands.

Presently we are in five countries: Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, Togo and Papua New Guinea.

We presently have a pilot in Liberia and he is anticipating opening an aviation ministry there with a Robinson Helicopter sometime in 2007