Haitian Relief Effort

Animal Rescue Flights And The Haitian Relief Effort The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) are jointly leading a coalition of over a dozen of the world's leading animal protection groups to bring aid to the animals and people of Haiti. Our assessment teams are in Haiti right now meeting with government officials and we should have a plan of action in the next few days. One of the challenges will naturally be transporting teams and supplies into the area so we're hoping to find some pilots willing to assist. Here are some facts at a glance... What is needed We need the ability to fly volunteers, staff and supplies into Port au Prince and/or other airfields in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. When is it needed Difficult to predict, but we will probably need some assistance as early as Jan 26-27 to move a few people. Chances are we can adjust or plan timing depending on aircraft/pilot preferences. The relief operation is likely to continue for months and rebuilding will take years so pilots who want to help but are not available at this time are always welcome. Aviation support in later months will obviously be far less frequent and easier to plan. Type of aircraft We are open to all possibilities. The ability to carry at least 4 passengers and/or cargo is obviously ideal, but we would consider any aircraft. The ideal situation would be the ability to call on a few different types depending on need. At the moment, we foresee the following possibilities: Longer range aircraft to carry relief teams (generally 4-8 people, but could be more or less) The rescue and relief teams work extremely long hours in difficult conditions, so anything we can do to shorten their travel time and eliminate transfers makes a tremendous difference. Also, as conditions change we often face unexpected needs so anything that shortens the time needed to get key people into the field can help save lives. At the moment the only option is commercial flights to Miami, then Dominican Republic, then small charter craft into Port au Prince, so ability to move from a U.S. airport directly to Port au Prince would ensure teams are not worn out from long travel times. Cargo planes ... in case we need to move large quantities of medication, etc. Aircraft able to carry live animals ... less likely, but we may encounter situations where we need to move animals out, so this is a (somewhat remote) possibility. Helicopters ... we realize this is unlikely, but if anyone has a helicopter and would be willing to volunteer it for a longer term mission we could certainly put it to good use. If necessary, we can provide a highly-experienced pilot for any type of helicopter if the aircraft is available but needs a pilot able to operate in Haiti for an extended period. Or, we could assist with ferrying the helicopter to Haiti so the pilot does not have to worry about mobilization and de-mobilization. The contribution of a helicopter would obviously open a wide range of new options for our work and might even be used for a range of animal and humanitarian missions. Frequency of flights Unknown at this time, but probably 1-3 flights per week. Departure points This is somewhat flexible depending on the location and preference of volunteer pilots and aircraft. I can see advantages of a few different departure points: South Florida ... teams could take commercial flights to Miami or another airport and then link up with volunteer pilot for flight to Haiti. Boston or other east coast ... close to HQ's of IFAW and several other coalition HQ's. Midwest or West Coast ... may also be useful depending on type of volunteers and/or supplies we need to transport Destination Port au Prince (most likely) although it is possible we will end up using other airports in Dominican Republic or Haiti (if anything opens up). Are these round trip in one day? Yes. Does IFAW have appropriate authorizations? Yes. The ARCH coalition (Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti) has all necessary invitations and authorizations from the government of Haiti, U.S. government agencies, the Food and Agriculture Organization, etc. We would assist pilots in obtaining any necessary clearances and provide ground support to ensure safe offloading of supplies, etc. Are landing areas secure? Yes. We would never ask pilots to operate in unsafe conditions and all flight decisions would obviously be at the pilot's discretion. Are you looking for free or discounted flights? Donated services are always best, but we welcome any offers. For example, we could pay for fuel, landing fees, etc. Offers to assist in setting up reduced cost for shipping via FedEx, DHL, or other air cargo operations would also be welcome. Please don't hesitate to call or email if you need additional information. I am available 24/7 via ajcady@ifaw.org or by calling 508 274-7100. Regards, A.J. Cady Deputy Director of Programs/Program Communications Director International Fund for Animal Welfare www.ifaw.org 290 Summer Street Yarmouth Port MA 02675