Earthquake in Haiti

[dashx]

A very tragic event.

As some of you know Transcapital Air has a UN contract there with a Dash 7. A second Dash 7 left for the mission yesterday. All the best to the crew down there.

I have a friend down there working for the UN there and was informed by his family that he is alive.

I hope all goes well for those down there.

[Inverted2]

I heard they are almost out of jet fuel there so some planes cant even leave. What a mess....

[Janszoon]

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/20 ... -reax.html

First Air has dispatched two of its Hercules aircraft to transport
emergency supplies to earthquake-devastated Haiti.

The northern airline has been contracted by the U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID) to fly a water purification system to Haiti in the wake of
Tuesday's 7.0-magnitude quake.

Both aircraft departed for Haiti on Thursday, with one of them leaving Yellowknife
for Washington, D.C., to pick up the water filtration supplies.

The planes are expected to initially fly to Santo Domingo in the Dominican
Republic, where the supplies will be unloaded and taken to Haiti.

First Air sales director Mike Olson said the airline has the only two commercial
Hercules aircraft in Canada.

"They're very versatile aircraft. They can carry anywhere from nothing to 45,000
pounds, probably 6,000 cubic feet," Olson told CBC News. "You can bring the
tail back down on them and unload cargo without having to have all the heavy
lift equipment, and that's one of the reasons why it's such a unique airplane for
this kind of help, relief effort."

First Air will also be sending a Boeing 767 cargo plane on Saturday to deliver
water, food and first aid supplies to Haiti. Airline officials say they're not sure
how long their planes and aircraft will be needed for relief efforts.

Emergency aid from around the world has begun arriving in Haiti and searchers
continue to look for survivors in the rubble of collapsed buildings. However,
relief groups have said that the deadly earthquake's destruction has made it
difficult for them to deliver supplies to people.

The federal government announced Thursday that it's earmarking up to $50
million to match Canadians' donations to relief organizations responding to the
earthquake. The pledged amount is in addition to the $5 million Canada has
committed in immediate aid, including emergency shelter, medical services,
food, relief items, water, and sanitation services and protection.

A number of provinces and cities across Canada have also pledged support for
the devastated Caribbean country. The Yukon government will donate $25,000
to the Canadian Red Cross for earthquake relief efforts in Haiti, making it the
first territory to offer financial support.

The Red Cross federation estimated on Thursday that between 45,000 and
50,000 people may have been killed in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince.
"The devastation wrought by the magnitude 7.0 earthquake, which I
understand is the largest in two centuries, has taken a terrible toll on the
Haitian people and on the infrastructure in the region," Yukon Premier Dennis
Fentie stated in a release Thursday. "Our hearts go out to them as they
come to terms with the damage and havoc caused by this natural disaster."

Among the confirmed survivors in Haiti is former Yukoner Sylvie Savard, who
was working in Haiti with Doctors Without Borders when the earthquake struck.
Savard, who had spent five years in Whitehorse working for L'Association
Franco-Yukonnaise, told CBC News on Thursday that she is OK.

Meanwhile, some northerners with ties to Haiti have been trying to connect
with family and friends at home. "All the news that I have received has been
indirect. There's no direct communication," Jean Colas, a Yellowknife resident
who has aunts and cousins in Port-au-Prince, told CBC News on Thursday
morning. "So I've been in contact with my family in Montreal … but nobody
actually in Haiti."

Colas, who grew up in Haiti, said watching media coverage of the quake's
aftermath has revived memories of the years he spent there "and makes me
realize how lucky that we are to live in a stable country." He added that it is
"difficult to see people struggling on a daily basis to survive, and then they're
hit with things like that."

In Iqaluit, city planning and lands manager Michèle Bertol said she received
word late Wednesday afternoon that her elderly mother, and her younger
brother and his family in Port-au-Prince were safe. "My sister received an email
… it was a one-line email from someone she doesn't know, and it simply said,
'I'm writing on behalf of your brother to let you know that he is safe,'" Bertol
said in an interview.

Bertol, who hails from the Haitian capital, said she felt numb and speechless
when she first turned on the television late Tuesday and saw what had
happened. "It's a bit inexplicable when you see scenes of buildings and streets
that you knew as a child and you can recognize them," she said. "You know
exactly what they used to look like before, and they were collapsed."

[Oor Wullie]

I heard they are almost out of jet fuel there so some planes cant even leave.

What an ignorant comment.

What makes you think Jet isn't already inbound?.... I doubt the US/Canada/France would fly into there knowing there was no Jet A. I think this is the least of their worries. The important part isn't getting out.

What a mess....

[Benwa]

The northern airline has been contracted by the U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID)

Stupid Americans... probably going there to steal their Oil and Natural Ressources.

[raven54]

I heard they are almost out of jet fuel there so some planes cant even leave.

What an ignorant comment.

What makes you think Jet isn't already inbound?.... I doubt the US/Canada/France would fly into there knowing there was no Jet A. I think this is the least of their worries. The important part isn't getting out.

What a mess....

Taken from cbc.ca...The runways at the airport are clear but because of a lack of space and fuel, aid planes are being forced to wait for hours to land. The Haitian government said there was no room on ramps for planes to unload their cargo and that some planes on the ground didn't have enough fuel to leave.

Gee, what an ignorant comment indeed.

[BusDriver]

Benwa says: "Stupid Americans... probably going there to steal their Oil and Natural Ressources"

How ignorant you must be. Our citizens to the south want to help and you call them stupid! Wow. Take a look in the mirror!

A big thank you to all headed to Haiti!

[The Old Fogducker]

Yes ... even an ignoramus would know that when there is no space left at an airport, you can just stack them one on top of the other and unload them with really tall fork lifts.

If airplanes can't get out, at some point, others can't get in .... what a hard to grasp concept.

OFD

[dashx]

I am sure you are all familiar with the other side of Hispaniola. You know... Dominican Republic. Which to my knowledge has several airports.........And from my information was not affected by the quake...

The UN contract called for medevac flights into the DR with the Dash 7. So for them getting out would not have been an issue. I am sure the boys/girls coming would have made a stop in La Isabela to refuel.

But hey what are alternates for anyway????

[railroad]

An American aircraft carrier arrived this morning. Water and other urgent supplies are already moving off the carrier and into hard-to-access areas by helicopter.

Say what you want about the Yanks... Sometimes their no bullshit, go big and get 'er done attitude can be quite beneficial.

[Nark]

We may be assholes, but we are normally the first asshole's on scene to offer assistance.

Tsunami 2004
Haiti 2010
Pakistan Earthquake 2005
PI Typhoon 2006
etc...

[mbav8r]

CNN just showed a house, or more accurately a pile of rubble. They said the house was owned by Air France and they have not been able to get in or move debris to see if anyone is in there. Hoping no body was there. They did not say if it was a crew house, I would think crews overnighting would stay at a hotel. Anyone in the know?

[beaverbob]

I get tired of the large number of people that are continuosly running down the americans. In times of disasters, no matter where in the world, they are the first to arrive with help. Even when other countries are still preparing for departure from home the US is already on sight. Think back to the Sunami 5 years ago. The first to arrive, with a Navy hospital ship full of supplies and personnel, and a Europian leader had the gaul to complain that the US failled to do enough. Nobody responce to world disaster with help as fast and as efficiently as the United States. Now who is ignorant?
Bob

[Benwa]

Benwa says: "Stupid Americans... probably going there to steal their Oil and Natural Ressources"

How ignorant you must be. Our citizens to the south want to help and you call them stupid! Wow. Take a look in the mirror!

A big thank you to all headed to Haiti!

That was sarcasm...

Usually AvCanada is full of American Bashers... which I am not.

[Flying Nutcracker]

It's reading threads like this that reminds me how UN-compassionate and UN-caring this website can sound... Our daily trivial problems, such as waiting on hold... going through security... can't get a sandwich onboard the plane... not getting paid what we so deservingly should be paid... It all seem so pitty in a way compared to what some people have to go through, doesn't it???

Stop throwing out sentences about ignorance and stupidity and send money! I did...

[rotorhead350]

I get tired of the large number of people that are continuosly running down the americans. In times of disasters, no matter where in the world, they are the first to arrive with help. Even when other countries are still preparing for departure from home the US is already on sight. Think back to the Sunami 5 years ago. The first to arrive, with a Navy hospital ship full of supplies and personnel, and a Europian leader had the gaul to complain that the US failled to do enough. Nobody responce to world disaster with help as fast and as efficiently as the United States. Now who is ignorant?
Bob

They do that to take peoples minds off of all the killing they are doing elsewhere in the world. They try to portray themselves as these huge humanitarians and then in the next breath are slaughtering innocent civilians around the globe for there own interests.

rh350

[Oor Wullie]

Taken from cbc.ca...The runways at the airport are clear but because of a lack of space and fuel, aid planes are being forced to wait for hours to land. The Haitian government said there was no room on ramps for planes to unload their cargo and that some planes on the ground didn't have enough fuel to leave.

Santo Domingo (x2), Satiago City, San Isidro, Puerto Plata, La Romana, Punta Cana....all within a stones throw and all able to fuel aircraft.

I find it very hard to believe that these aircraft arrived with bingo fuel.
Did we really expect differently from a THIRD WORLD COUNTRY?

But let's let the experts figure it out.



Oh, and in a disaster, I would want the Americans to be first in line to respond. Above any others.

[Flying Nutcracker]

They do that to take peoples minds off of all the killing they are doing elsewhere in the world. They try to portray themselves as these huge humanitarians and then in the next breath are slaughtering innocent civilians around the globe for there own interests.

rh350

Strong words! With the exception of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and maybe one other dark mark in history, I think the word "slaughter" is ill intended in this context, Rotorhead...

[Cat Driver]

I don't understand the thinking process of some Canadians when it comes to Americans.

Not only have I spent a lot of my career flying in the USA I trained for two of my pilots licenses there.

When buying parts for aircraft most of my suppliers are from the USA and talking with them on the phone I would not have the faintest idea if they are Americans or Canadians.

[Janszoon]

Taken from cbc.ca...The runways at the airport are clear but because of a lack of space and fuel, aid planes are being forced to wait for hours to land. The Haitian government said there was no room on ramps for planes to unload their cargo and that some planes on the ground didn't have enough fuel to leave.

Santo Domingo (x2), Satiago City, San Isidro, Puerto Plata, La Romana, Punta Cana....all within a stones throw and all able to fuel aircraft.

I find it very hard to believe that these aircraft arrived with bingo fuel.
Did we really expect differently from a THIRD WORLD COUNTRY?

But let's let the experts figure it out.



Oh, and in a disaster, I would want the Americans to be first in line to respond. Above any others.

Listening to a pilot interviewed on CBC who flew down 14 Jan and is in the DR, he was saying planes are coming in with lots of extra fuel and holding for upwards of 3 hours trying to get in, then having to divert to the DR to land. Supplies are being trucked from there. Fuel is getting short and the traffic is building faster than it's leaving.

[xsbank]

S-A-R-C-A-S-M... look it up. They say most kids can't understand sarcasm until they are 8 or 9. Sounds about right.

If you donate to CIDA the government matches it, which is a good thing, but it means you are donating twice.

[robbreid]

http://flightaware.com/live/airport/MTPP

With the lack of ramp space, makes you kinda wonder who is flying into such an impoverished place, at the worst of times, and you need to arrive in a Gulfstream V?? Quite afew bizjets have made the trip in the last few days?? Notice a couple of biz jets making several trips??

I do have a friend who flew down two days ago, just a very sad, and difficult situation.

As for all the aviators, rescue people, and others, Canadian's, American's and others, as a human being, as a Canadian - I appreciate all you are doing and risking, take care.

Robert.

[Inverted2]

I heard they are almost out of jet fuel there so some planes cant even leave.

What an ignorant comment.

What makes you think Jet isn't already inbound?.... I doubt the US/Canada/France would fly into there knowing there was no Jet A. I think this is the least of their worries. The important part isn't getting out.

What a mess....

Let me see, they are running out of room to park planes and running out of gas.....That is ignorant? That is how it is going down there. If that's ignorant, why don't you bring some jet fuel down or clear some parking space..... moron! (just stating the obvious, even if it is not the best news.)

[Inverted2]

http://flightaware.com/live/airport/MTPP

With the lack of ramp space, makes you kinda wonder who is flying into such an impoverished place, at the worst of times, and you need to arrive in a Gulfstream V?? Quite afew bizjets have made the trip in the last few days?? Notice a couple of biz jets making several trips??

I do have a friend who flew down two days ago, just a very sad, and difficult situation.

As for all the aviators, rescue people, and others, Canadian's, American's and others, as a human being, as a Canadian - I appreciate all you are doing and risking, take care.

Robert.

All the bizjets are probably from all the celebreties and media bigwigs coming down. No doubt Anderson Cooper has a full entourage that could fill a GV.... I'm sure he didn't come down in a Navajo.

[Invertago]

We may be assholes, but we are normally the first asshole's on scene to offer assistance.

Tsunami 2004
Haiti 2010
Pakistan Earthquake 2005
PI Typhoon 2006
etc...

WW1... WW2... opps natural disasters those where man made...

Um...

Katrina... true they were first on the ground.

I'm not anti American, but they're not earths heroes, they just happen to be the main world power so they are a little more in the news. I'd rather have them in charge vs say the Russians or Chinese though.