250 Relief Missions Completed, 100 Tons Of Supplies
Delivered
Bahamas Habitat announced Thursday its aviation relief
operation has passed a significant milestone by completing its
250th relief mission to Haiti. To date, volunteer pilots and
aircraft have delivered over 200,000 pounds of medical supplies and
food as well as over 70 medical personnel along with their
equipment to Haiti's outlying airports using general aviation
aircraft. Operations are continuing and more volunteer pilots are
needed.
"We had planes in action within 48 hours of the event and have
been flying not stop since and have clearly grown to be the largest
operation focused on supplying the airports outside of
Port-au-Prince." John Armstrong, President of Bahamas Habitat said.
"Many of our first responders are returning for multiple missions
and we still need more volunteers so we just launched our Pilots
Pay It Forward system to help our mission pilots cover their fuel
for these flights. Though we've now had over 250 flights and over
400 volunteers we still need more" added Armstrong.
Bahamas Habitat Delivers Relief
Supplies
"The message we are sending out to all pilots is that we still
need their help and through our Pilots Pay It Forward system we've
made it easier for them to participate and fund their flight
missions" explained Armstrong. "Though pilots aren't seeing the
distressing scenes on the nightly news like they were, the need for
what we are doing has not diminished."
"While, other relief efforts are focusing their efforts on
supplying Port-au-Prince and supplies are on the ground there, we
have focused on sending our aircraft to Port-du-Paix, Pignon, La
Gonave, Les Cayes, Jacmel, Cap Haitien and other outlying towns and
islands," stated Abraham McIntyre, the Executive Director of
Bahamas Methodist Habitat and chief coordinator of the
organization's operations from "Command Central" in Nassau. "People
are still moving out to these areas seeking help and the clinics
and hospitals are overrun there without enough medical supplies. In
many cases we are their primary lifeline."
The organization has had over 150 general aviation airplanes of
all types involved. Mission pilots have come from all over the US
and Canada with it not being uncommon for them to come from as far
away as California, Vancouver BC, Boston, Ontario and every region
in between.
In addition to supply depots in various points in the US, the
organization has its main Command Center at the Odyssey FBO at the
Nassau Bahamas airport which provides pilot briefings and
coordinates all mission flights each day. Nassau is the ideal
location because it is situated on the direct path from the US to
Haiti and has the facilities needed for communications, lodging,
warehousing and provides full service aircraft operations support.
The fact that Bahamas Habitat was on the ground with facilities and
staff operational in the Bahamas directly after the quake is likely
why they quickly became the largest coordinator of GA relief
flights.
Bahamas Habitat Delivers Relief
Supplies
"We are particularly pleased that all of our mission pilots have
come back with glowing positive comments about their experiences as
well as tremendous compliments on our support staff and co-pilots
we provide. Our team at the Command Center works very hard to make
sure every pilot has a safe mission, the supplies get to where they
need to go and the pilot has a good experience," added
Armstrong.