News
Proud to Support and Fly our Soldiers, Veterans and their Families
Joe Howley's Daily Journal
My Humanitarian Flight to Haiti
By Joe Howley
Day 1
Loading the machine took the efforts of a skilled forklift operator and 4 men. It took about an hour, but we finally got the machine safely on the plane without any ill effects. Jim has wisely brought packing straps made especially for the plane. Without them, our trip would have been doomed. We were filmed the entire time by a news team, which ended up on that night’s newscast.
Onward we continued to Ormond Beach, Florida where we taxied forever to get to a horrible spot to refuel, only to have the linemen leave one fuel cap completely open and the other merely loose. We arrived at Nassau, Bahamas at sunset where we met Abraham McIntyre, Matt Hansen, and Cameron King of Bahamas Habitat, a Methodist charity, whose bubbly personalities kept it sane throughout the week. These three young people worked 20 hours days, slept on the floor of the warehouse and were invariably accommodating every morning when we arrived just before 7. We secured rooms that the nearest hotel, and learned that the restaurant closes at 8 sharp, so we hustled over there and had the first of what ended up being our nightly steak dinner.
Day 2
We got up and left for the airport at 6:30 where we encounter the realities of the slowness of Bahamian Flight plan clearances and departures. We had to fill out two departure forms to leave the country which had to be brought over to customs for signature while filing a flight plan at the front desk, which invariably the tower didn’t get. Matt gave us a list of airports we might be going to, which were just basic coordinates and some frequencies. We obviously were going to have to figure out the flying by ourselves. Bodlo and Joses intersections were where pilots flew under the watchful eye of Miami Center, right at the border of Haitian airspace. At that point were on our own to whichever airport we were going. Flying into Jacmel was like a Viet Nam movie (much like the entire week). Flying through a valley surrounded by mountains and sloping terrain we locate the north/south airport and are instructed to land inside 2500 feet due to the fact that a Canadian C130 was on the other end of the runway being unloaded. As we land with it getting bigger and bigger in our windshield, we spy a recently crashed King Air off the left side. Glad we weren’t high and hot like him! Now for the unloading of the machine. Eight big Canadian soldiers in fatigues and T-shirts are at the ready, but four leave after being told it was only about 250 lbs. What took us an hour to load was lifted like a toothpick and placed on the ground in seconds. Hotter than you can imagine, we see choppers landing, C130’s taking off and lots of work being done. The control tower is the open second story of an earthquake damaged building. Leaving Jim Lee with the machine, we depart to the south and see the broken city off our right wing as we swing around and head back. In the plane with us is a Haitian man from Queens who came here to find his family and relatives, only to discover they are all gone.
We land at Nassau and start what becomes SOP; we park, clear customs, refuel, reload, file flight plans, eat, get water for the pilots and taxi off inside of an hour. Off to Cap Hatien we go with a massive supply of medical equipment. We land on runway 5 on the second half of the runway, the first half occupied by people and animals. The tower at the airport is on delayed feedback. We can only hear them from 5 miles out. We go through the dance of them asking for our call sign and point of departure, wait ten seconds whereby they ask us the same question only to do it again, all while lining up to land.
On the tarmac we discover a 2 ft ledge separating it from the dirt. I missed it by 2 feet. From now on we call it the pass/fail line. Jim and I perfect the art of jumping out of the plane, putting the tail stand down, while opening the engine cowls in seconds. On to Customs, where we fill out paperwork, walk over to the departure tent and fill out 2 more forms, before heading back again to customs for permission to leave. There is no fuel in all of Haiti.
Finally back after our 2 hour flight, we land at 7 p.m. We clear customs, fill out paperwork, button up the plane, debrief and find out our mission for tomorrow and off to the hotel before 8. A well earned drink, a call home and in bed by 10.
Day 3
Today we fly to Les Cayes, in the southwest corner of the country. A beautiful area on a plain, framed by mountains and the ocean, this airport is not on any map, as it was the home a drug lord. Business must have been good as it was in very good shape. We arrive with cargo and 4 women doctors of a team of 6 who were going to a town in the mountains. We are greeted by cries of “Joe! Joe! as we deplane. It’s none other than Jim Lee, who we left behind in Jacmel! He had hitched a flight over when he heard I was coming. The women were from Charleston, SC and were not supported by their hospital; in fact they had to sign thick releases. Also there was Evan, a SC surgeon who needed a ride home. The airport is surrounded by a fence, lined with children pleading “Hey you, give me some food!” these shouts never stop the entire time we are there. Evan and the 4 quickly huddle for an intense briefing about what conditions they will find. A very moving scene as a spent doctor and nervous newcomers get the scoop from one of their own.
On the ride back with Jim and Evan, we are told stories of incredible hardship. Splints made of rebar, self amputations using a stone, and incredible distances traveled by broken bodies to the hillside makeshift hospital. When encountering a line of victims, what Evan thought were the worst cases at the front of the line were actually the least sick in the back. Les Cayes is in desperate need of tents ASAP for the homeless without shelter. We fly home, do the paperwork, pack, eat, and turnaround and head back to Cap Haitien.
On this flight, we have on board 3 young men from North Dakota. (928) They are going to Haiti to join efforts in securing buildings. Passing themselves off as structural engineers, I think they were just joining the actual ones there to do anything type of work they were told. Another quick turnaround and we head back home.
Jim and I by this time have formed a complete team. Concentrating on safety first followed by comfort, then economy as all pilots must, we learn to fly routes off center from the two principal intersections in order to avoid potential traffic conflicts with the added benefit of seeing the incredible Exuma chain of island from different vantage points. The colors of the Caribbean from N755HF offer a painting no artist can match. We decide to do only one trip tomorrow.
Day 4
After the usual scramble of what to board, where to pack it, filling out 2 exit forms and flight plans, getting ice, fuel and a ladder to clean the windows, it is off to Cap Haitian with supplies for Father Eddie, a doctor of psychology who is leading efforts there.
On board is Joe Turnham and Andrew Hudson. We had heard two days earlier that some politician wanted to come down to Haiti with supplies. We turned down the flight as we would have to go to Fort Lauderdale to get him and therefore would only be able to do one mission. We were here for maximum aid to Haitians, not photo shoots. So he got a ride to Nassau. Joe is the chairman of the Democratic party of Alabama accompanying donated supplies, and wants to document that they are going to a place where it is needed. Andy is a videographer who accompanied him. Both rolled up their sleeves, helping out with everything, and so we were happy to take them.
Upon landing and doing the paperwork, we exit the airport gates and into the town of Cap Hatien. We also brought some engine parts for pilots whose plane had broken down at the airport. Andrew is filming video. I see squalor on an immense scale. We waited about an hour for the keys to arrive for a warehouse on a small street where most buildings have no windows, and are open to the street. Commerce is done on the street, with lots of movement but very little being done, open sewers, etc. After unloading the supplies, we head to a gymnasium where refugees are lined up for a good distance, trying to get into a makeshift clinic. We make an intimidating climb up stairs leading to the building. Inside, we meet psychiatrists who are overloaded. They have very few drugs to work with. Shell shocked faces make for moving photos. We moved on to the hospital, which was nice compared to the surroundings, but pretty basic, Civil War era basic. We met some American Docs who were there for a week and were getting worried about getting a ride home. It is at least 95 degrees. A woman in a stretcher is being wheeled down the street on an IV. Time to go back to Nassau and we learn the pilot’s plane is fixed and ready to resume helping... Joe Turnham can go home happy, and we know we were instrumental in getting a whole bunch more supplies courtesy of the good folks of Alabama!
Day 5
Once again, we are going to do two round trips on our last day. This time we stuff the plane with water and food, and hygiene kits which fill all of two pallets. This plane is a beast! We are going to bring back 4 doctors who need to get home. Is it possible that it’s even hotter today? Customs, departure, flight plans, searching and finally finding the doctors in a room stuffed with people and no air. Another round of paperwork. We take off and the doctors feel cool air for the first time in a week. Before departure, I see one of the doctors I saw in the city of Cap Hat the day before. After convincing him he knew me, he tells me he must leave as he has contracted malaria. I instinctively pull back from him and he assures me it is not contagious. I am an ass!
The Doctors in the plane tell stories of incredible pain tolerance on the part of the Haitian people and their impossibly good spirits. They operate from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day averaging 70 per day (is this possible?) They tell of a 19 year old boy singing while being operated on, overjoyed a doctor is saving him. Like everyone else, after the procedure he is brought outside, put down on the dirt, and left with no water or any other comforts.
Our final flight to Cap Hatien is uneventful as we land with a full load of water and medical equipment at an empty airfield. Very few planes land near sunset so we have the place to ourselves; no military, no customs or any people of authority. It was a little scary. We unload, take pictures of our friends who were there to unload us and head back. We are tired and reflective of what we have done. A beautiful sunset and full moon rise end our mission. We flew some 40 hours or 10,000 miles to three different areas of Haiti bringing some 15000 lbs of people and supplies back and forth. It was gratifying to help those who so desperately needed it. To Jim McGuire, thanks for toughing it out over with me. I’ll never forget what we accomplished!
If you would like to contribute items, consider BahamasHabitat.org
If you would like to contribute money, please support our new charitable flying organization WINGS at www.wingsffh.org
p.s. I never saw one person from an international relief organization during our time in Haiti. The Doctors we asked said the same thing.