TFRs & Rescue Problems

Fuel for the aircraft has not been an issue, but for the automobiles
another
story.

Ever since Katrina hit, Angel Flight South Central (and South East)
have been working to get the injured out and trained personnel and
supplies into the area. As a medical relief flight, we've not had any
TFR problems - and now we are just staging a standing line of planes.
The Red Cross or National Guard brings them to us (mostly from
hospitals) and we have the next plane in line in the air in 15 minutes.


Fuel has been a problem - all the underground AVGAS supplies are
flooded (or empty) and so we are having to limit to planes that can fly
in and back unrefueled. That should get better soon. There are
supplies of AVGAS further north that are intact, but little
coordination as to which airports can sell to our pilots vs. which are
without power or gas.

It's getting there, slowly... but once the big crunch is over there is
going to be a continuing mess to reunite everyone. We are flying out
lots of babies from hospitals without natal care units working. To
handle as many as possible, that means the parents get left behind.
jmk

Hotel 179 wrote:
snip
Hello from the Gulf region,

I've been flying since before landfall and every day since the storm's
passage. Yesterday, the medivac choppers were with us at Jack Edwards (JKA)
in Gulf Shores.
snip
Fly safe,

Stephen
Alabama Wing, CAP

What missions are CAP volunteers flying along the Gulf?
Are you flying Civil Air Patrol-owned aircraft exclusively,
or are private aircraft being pressed into service?

--

"Wade" wrote in message news:247Se.430
What missions are CAP volunteers flying along the Gulf?
Are you flying Civil Air Patrol-owned aircraft exclusively,
or are private aircraft being pressed into service?
-------------------------------------reply------------------------------------------------
We first flew before the storm hit and video'd the entire coastline and
intra-coastal canal so that a "before" record could be compared to the
"after" (We means the Baldwin County and Mobile County Squadrons). On the
morning after the wind and rain, I took off before sunrise to allow my
Observer to still-photo the flooded areas and storm damaged sections of the
coastline and inland areas. These photos were used to brief the Emergency
Management folks at the local and State level as well as elected officials
from the various municipalities.

Other flights were to provide a photo platform for the Army Corp of
Engineers to shoot levy damage. I flew for the Highway Department doing
highway and bridge damage assessment. The power companies had us shoot
powerline damage. Officials from the State Insurance Commission had us fly
a sortie for them as they viewed the damage. Today, I flew a route search
for a hospital ship whose Command has lost contact with them....photo'd the
vessel and had our commo guys relay their position.

All told, we've flown about 15 hours in support of the relief efforts here
in Alabama. All of the flights are done in the Corporate plane. Our
squadron is assigned a 2001 C-172SP. It has the standard Cessna radio
package---dual nav/coms, 2 axis autopilot, KLN94 GPS, and a Becker Unit for
SAR. We took delivery from the factory and have put 850 hours on it since
new.

Semper vi.,

Stephen
Foley, Alabama