Naturelink heading for Tsunami relief ops

[goaround7]

Naturelink looks set to take IL76 and two 407s to worst hit Aceh in Indonesia on Monday / Tuesday.

Puma already on route to Sri Lanka and King Airs in Seychelles.

All being done for Air Serv.

Any donations transported if possible; advice, other assistance, pilots interested in helping etc. all gratefully received.

Naturelink no. +27 12 543 3448

[goaround7]

Just an update in case of relevance to anyone:

Naturelink's IL 76 leaving between 0000 and 0200 UTC, 040105, out of Jo'burg International for the area with journos, doctor and minister.

Expect to be there 90-180 days.

[goaround7]

Thanks for your support guys but bad news on the Naturelink mission as US Secretary of State decided in his infinite wisdom that because of the scale of the disaster in Indonesia only the US military can handle it and all US civvies will get no funding.

Aside from the fact that they told us 15 minutes after the 8.5 hour loading process had been completed, this monumentally stupid decision is compounded by an apparent attitude from the Indonesian government that as Summatra are a bunch of rebels they don't deserve any help.

We are standing by 48 hours in the hope that sanity prevails as the US military are perhaps the worst tool to apply here and the colossal arrogance to force out experts at the job must be undermined.

In the mean time we are going to raise our own funds - need US$1m in 48 hours - and go anyway. It's a tall order but why not ? Beeld will be helping us and South Africa needs a channel for its generosity. Who needs the Americans ? They never finish what they start anyway. We can do it ourselves ! Come on South Africa - dig deep !

[Gerund]

Who needs the Americans?

goaround7, I can understand you being a bit miffed after all your hard work but I somehow think that USAID will not be too impressed by your tirade. America and USAID via AirServ via Naturelink are your ultimate paymaster and it is not a good idea to trash them. They keep a watching brief on here in relation to their aviation operations as do many others who hand out the money we rely on. Colossal arrogance?

Good luck with all the good work.

[MungoP]

It does rather sound as though the politicos are raising their ugly faeces.....first the Sri Lankn govnt wanting to control distribution of aid supplies..(wouldn't want to be waiting around in the Tamil area for that)...now this...Nothing wrong with people like Airserv and Naturelink....they're the good guys....the rot is deep behind protected walls in the US State dept.....Anyway, with the American military in charge I'm sure we can look forward to hearing about how 500 tons of oversized condoms have been dopped through the roof of the Chinese embassy in Bankok... :*

[goaround7]

Absolutely right guys, it's not AirServ's fault, nor USAID. AirServ were just the bearers of bad news. They are being great about everything and if we can get the funds another way we will still run all through them.

As usual, stung by negative criticism, the American government has over-reacted and instituted a protectionist regime again.

Meanwhile people die for politics again...

Mungo P, thanks for the humoruous remark. Really appreciated that this morning.

Good news is that we have a strong lead for the money and may be going anyway with two aircraft. Fingers crossed...

[B Sousa]

MungoP Writes:".....Anyway, with the American military in charge I'm sure we can look forward to hearing about how 500 tons of oversized condoms have been dopped through the roof of the Chinese embassy in Bankok... "

And whats the problem with that......Soon as you start feeding the folks, nature is gonna tell to breed....

[BAKELA]

Does the cancelled Naturelink flight (and all the reasons given for that) just maybe have something to do with the South African Hon. Minister of Health and Hon. Minister of Water Affairs leaving from Johannesburg this very afternoon (4 Jan 2005)? :suspect:As usual, stung by negative criticism, the American government has over-reacted and instituted a protectionist regime again. Well, maybe the SA Government has good teachers in the American government...(over-reaction, defensive, critical). Of course the race card is true to SA only...I'm waiting for that one...:yuk: . Except it seems like the SA Government forgot NEPAD and their brothers in Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania and the Seychelles that was also hit (albeit on a much lesser scale but still with fatalities). Seeing that the Prezjet BBJ is/was in Sudan during the last couple of days.

Bert, good one! :)

[flyems]

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Who needs the Americans ?
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Amazing how they became baddies AFTER they pulled the plug... I presume up to then they were pretty OK guys for handing over a cheque?