Comanches To Haiti: Archangel Airborne

On Wednesday, August 11^th I boarded my Piper Twin Comanche  and headed to Haiti for a humanitarian mission. This volunteer effort was coordinated through Archangel Airborne, an organization that uses general aviation as a means to help people in need. Our mission in part was to deliver medical supplies to a hospital in the coastal city of Les Cayes. Our journey began at  Central Jersey Regional Airport in Hillsborough, N.J. Our flight  took us to stops in Leesburg, VA – Charleston, SC – Fort Pierce, FL – Exhuma, Bahamas – Port-Au-Prince, Haiti – Les Cayes. In 4 ½ days we flew over 30-hours.

While it was an amazing experience, it is also a difficult thing to witness if you have never been exposed to poverty on this level. The devastation is so pervasive, it is difficult to put into words. Pictures do not do it justice.

Archangel Airborne is a not for profit group providing relief efforts through general aviation. Their web site is www.archangelairborne.org. The organization is headed up by Stuart Hirsch who is a pilot, musician, hospital clinician and all around good guy. Stuart is in the early stages of creating a great organization, and is very passionate about what he does. I met Stu at Cherry Ridge airport in Pennsylvania, and after a brief discussion I expressed an interest in volunteering my Twin Comanche and time in helping. Prior to leaving Matt and I were interviewed by local papers and we managed to acquire 150 pounds of medical supplies for our mission from an organization called Americares. Matt is my co-pilot on many of these  long flights.

A number of people have asked why we are supporting Les Cayes when the earthquake hit Port-Au-Prince. Much of the news does not cover the collateral damage the earthquake has had on the surrounding areas. Because of the destruction that happened in Port-Au-Prince, residents have migrated to other areas like Les Cayes and creates a massive resource drain on these communities. These kinds of towns DO NOT have large airports, and accordingly are being ignored by the media and relief efforts. This is the beauty and value of Archangel Airborne. Les Cayes does have a 4,000 foot runway, which is perfect for our organization. Because we are flying general aviation aircraft, we have the ability to bring resources into an area like Les Cayes, and we are able to make a difference. I think it is also worthwhile to mention another great aspect of Archangel Airborne. Much of what we are hearing 6-months after the disaster is how little things have changed since the earthquake. Money has been promised and not delivered, people still live without electricity, plumbing and are forced to reside in tent cities. Where is the money going, what is happening on the ground? I do not have answers, but the beauty of Archangel Airborne is they acquire the goods that are needed, they transport them out of the U.S. and deliver those supplies directly to those in need. When we donate money to places like the Red Cross, we do not see where our money goes. That is not the case with Archangel Airborne. We got to see the people that were impacted by our efforts, and I have to say it was a great thing to witness.

Our trip for the first 2-days took us to Charleston, SC, then Fort Pierce, FL, then the Exhumas in the Bahamas and then to Haiti. When I stopped in the Exhumas the gentleman providing fuel asked, “where you heading”. I told him, “Port-Au-Prince, Haiti”. He suddenly stopped and asked, “why”? I explained that I was on a humanitarian flight. He listened and nodded his head in silent disbelief. At my place of employment we have a Risk Analyst who was born in Haiti. When I told him about the trip he said, “thank you for doing this”. He also pointed out to me that whatever I imaged Haiti to be like, it was 10-times worse. No words, pictures or video can describe the conditions in Haiti. After departing the Exhumas, I was about to see for myself first hand.

Flying to Haiti is a unique experience for a number of reasons. First, Haiti has very little aviation services, particularly with respect to weather. Because Haiti is very mountainous, it creates its own weather. Second, Haiti does not have radar. Therefore, you are self reporting at predetermined points on the aviation charts. Third, if you are a private pilot like me flying at 9,000 feet, you will notice that the Port-Au-Prince tower can not hear you at times. Therefore you have to relay messages through other higher flying traffic, i.e. the airlines to relay position points. 

My other observations about flying to Haiti: the news is always reporting that Haiti has been de-forested. That might be, but all I saw was lush areas approaching the island. While we were 30 miles from Port-Au-Prince airport, we were dodging isolated thunderstorms. Even with this, clearly the most striking aspects is on short final. The devastation, poverty and tent cities canvass the landscape. This place was brutally hot, with marginal plumbing and electricity, and human beings were relegated to an existence to that of local wildlife. It is nothing short of hellish. 

The airport is also an experience. The Port-au-Prince control tower is part of a trailer. A picture is attached. Going through customs here was overwhelming for me personally. It all seemed somewhat disorganized, which is compounded by the language disconnect, and any time someone helps you, quite often they are looking to be compensated for things like calling the fuel truck. It is easy to pass judgment on these folks for these kinds of behaviors, and turn your back. However, I suspect you too would resort to these measures to help yourself and your family. After clearing customs, we left the chaos and headed to the coastal city of Les Cayes. While this region was not hit by the earthquake, it has had to absorb over 100,000 refugees from Port-au-Prince. Looking at the conditions on the ground, it was clear that poverty and despair enveloped this place too.

Upon landing in Les Cayes we unloaded the airplane of our medical supplies. While I looked around at the grounds, it was quite tranquil. The airport looked secure, it was completely fenced in. While I looked around a 6-year old child on the other side of the fence was trying to get my attention. “Hey mister, please give me money”. While I wanted to help, I was concerned that by doing so I would be marking myself as a person that had money. The truth was I had a lot of money with me and did not want to put myself in danger. As I walked across the ramp, I saw a U.N. truck ride down the street across from the airport. I also saw a woman riding a mule. You don’t see that in New Jersey!

From the airport we headed to a run down sugar plantation, which was owned by one of our hosts. We met people from the local community including a senator from Haiti. Over 10-years ago government subsidies allowed the plantation to compete on the open market. President Clinton had a hand in removing the subsidies, a decision he now regrets. A meeting took place between government officials and Archangel Airborne. The Haitian senator thought the meeting was so important, he flew all the way back from Boston to attend.

Walking around the sugar plantation, it reminded me of a ghost town which time has abandoned. I imagined at one point this was a lush and prosperous place. Now only broken down freights and vacant homes served as a reminder of what once was. The hope is at some point to re-open the plantation and bring it back to life again. 

I really had a taste of Haiti when we left the sugar plantation. Our car took us through down town Les Cayes. Words can not describe the conditions here. The roads were crowded with people and vehicles. The homes were nothing more than shacks in disrepair. They were cluttered together with other homes. Garbage, filth and disorder peppered the scene. The heat was oppressive. I sweat so much, I felt like I was in the middle of a marathon with this heat. As we travelled down a busy street I saw a woman bathing her child in front of her home by boiling a pot of water for a sponge bath. Mopeds and motorcycles darted in and out of the traffic barely missing the car we were in. Some homes were covered with a tarp to protect it from the rain. I could only imagine what it was like inside these homes with no plumbing or electricity. As we weaved between the mopeds and people in the street I saw emaciated dogs roaming through trash for a scrap of food. Trucks were packed with people inside and out transporting the citizens of Les Cayes. Witnessing all of this, I observed the faces passing by, and they all seemed like this was perfectly normal as they went about their business. It wasn’t.

I remarked to the team, that even though there was filth everywhere, poverty and run down conditions, underneath it all, I saw a silent charm to it all. It is difficult to explain. Our car headed to the coastline to catch a boat to our accommodations at Acaba Bay. As we pulled up to the dock we saw the coastline. Another sight to behold: the beachfront was littered for miles with garbage that was about 15 yards deep. A picture is attached showing two young men crossing the filth and broken glass to go fishing. Look closely, they are not wearing shoes.

Friday night we relaxed at Acaba Bay, had a nice diner with the team, and shared our experience flying to Haiti with the group. I was told by Dr. Jean-Francios Hibbert, that he was betting I would not show up. He said, “why would anyone want to come here”? I told him the thought certainly crossed my mind. One of our hosts Raymond, who lives in Port-au-Prince remarked that I was either very brave or very stupid to come to such a place. Perhaps I was a little of both.

The next day we headed back to Les Cayes to visit the hospital in order to deliver our medical supplies. The hospital was another difficult thing to see. It seemed like a small collection of 2 story buildings in disrepair. We headed to the emergency room. It was a dimly lit concrete room with gurneys scattered throughout. People were sprawled out on the gurneys with no sheets, and some were on the floor. I did not see much of a hospital staff. The hospital was out of surgical gloves, antibiotics, insulin and other essential supplies. We stayed only briefly to let Stu, Jean and Kate do the work they were there to perform.

Before the trip began, I contemplated whether we would be able to make a difference with our small airplanes and our limited ability to carry a significant load. Upon hearing that the hospital was completely out of supplies, only then did I have an answer to my own question. Yes, on Saturday, August 14^th two Comanche airplanes and a few pilots made a difference in peoples lives in the coastal city of Les Cayes, Haiti. Aviation has been such a great joy of my adult life with all its challenges and hurdles to becoming a pilot. In all my travels, never have I been so proud to participate as a pilot in something so meaningful and worthwhile after helping the people of Haiti. This is something that I will never forget. 

As Americans I think we tend to forget how fortunate we are, and we often get so locked into our differences. We frequently forget what we have in common. For those of us that are pilots, Archangel Airborne provides each of us an opportunity to make a difference in other peoples lives that are less fortunate and in great need. All of this is being done through a medium which we share a great passion for – aviation! For me, it doesn’t get any better than that.

I would like to point out that I am honored that Archangel Airborne allowed me to participate in Operation Haitian Alliance. These are good people doing great work, and general aviation plays a large role in helping them achieve their goals. I hope at some point you too can help by lending your skills, time and money to their great cause. I assure you, it is a worthwhile and fulfilling cause that will make you realize how fortunate you are, and how rewarding it is to help out your fellow man. Archangel Airbornes web site is: http://www.archangelairborne.org/