Helicopter rescues dominate news of "Katrina"
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Helicopter rescues dominate news of "Katrina"
The first daylight news video of the devastation of hurricane Katrina is dominated by helicopter rescues and air traffic. Some of the most incredible footage of the damage was shown on NBC taken by the Buloxi, MS NBC affiliate's helicopter pilot-reporter, much of it resembling some of the Aceh province photos posted on Rotorheads . Buloxi Mayor states "this is our tsunami".
Errrrrrr....not quite. Where's the international outpouring of relief assistance, aid, money, personnel....volunteers posting their availability and so on. No....not really our Tsunami. Any Hollywood types going to do concerts and pass the funds to charity......probably not!
I hope I am wrong on this.....really I do. It would be a nice gesture....
I hope I am wrong on this.....really I do. It would be a nice gesture....
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SASless - I shouldn't have quoted out of context. He was referring to the destruction as he viewed from the air. I didn't interpret him to be so brash as to suggest that this is quite on the same scale, although it sure may seem that way to them.
Pretty ugly scenes of folks on roof tops and flooding to the eaves on houses....impressive numbers of rescues already....the amount of assets that arrive over the next 48 hours will be impressive as the Federal government mobilizes the National Guard and Military/Coast Guard. There are still people living in FEMA House trailers from last years hurricanes in Florida....this will just add to that situation. One of my neighbors has gone down there in his job as a power company lineman.....this deployment was unusual....normally it is a volunteer basis. This time his company detailed a maximum response and told the non-volunteers that it was either head out or their employment would be terminated. That alone signifies to me how bad this will turn out to be.
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CNN reports 22 helicopters working the Orleans area on rescue on 30th Aug. Good work guys. I guess with a high concentration of GOM machines in the area this could make a big difference to the survival rate in the first 48 hours, compared to say Aceh where it took a while to build up the fleet.
Plus you've got a big Seebees (Sp?) base at Gulfport which is just what you need right now. Those boys can build anything anywhere.
I'm wondering about Vortex helicopters in Gulfport where I did good training and met some great people a couple a few years ago. Hope they are OK. Post if you know.
(Posted from TPE where we are waiting for our Cat 4 in the next 24 hours.)
Plus you've got a big Seebees (Sp?) base at Gulfport which is just what you need right now. Those boys can build anything anywhere.
I'm wondering about Vortex helicopters in Gulfport where I did good training and met some great people a couple a few years ago. Hope they are OK. Post if you know.
(Posted from TPE where we are waiting for our Cat 4 in the next 24 hours.)
CNN says that the Coast Gurad has rescued 1200 people off of rooftops so far. The implication is that there are still plenty more still trapped in flooded buildings.
The TV footage makes it seem most of these rescues are happening by helicopter.
The TV footage makes it seem most of these rescues are happening by helicopter.
Aw...you reckon they would ignore the hundreds of boats out making the rescues too? Surely not. I would not put too much credence into anything CNN has to report.
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Maybe SASless has a point... Perhaps all the four star hotels are being booked up by the UN before their massive aid operation kicks in sometime next spring - but then again, perhaps not
Listen, I understand that this is not the Tsunami, that got the rotorheads so excited, but a lot of people are drowning, starving, and have no water that is safe to drink.
Yes, the U.S. is not Sri Lanka or any of the other places severely affected by the tsunami.
Still, there are a lot of of people without food or water or medicine, so it's pretty serious.
Plus, a lot of these people lost absolutely everything. Even if they had more to start with than some, it is still all gone.
Yes, the U.S. is not Sri Lanka or any of the other places severely affected by the tsunami.
Still, there are a lot of of people without food or water or medicine, so it's pretty serious.
Plus, a lot of these people lost absolutely everything. Even if they had more to start with than some, it is still all gone.
Last edited by visibility3miles; 31st Aug 2005 at 21:16.
So why are the US coastguard and other heli operators still persisting with the basket as a means to rescue people? A clip on the TV today showed 2 terrified kids, alone in the basket being winched up to the helo with no protection, no supervision, no comfort and no hope of survival if one of them panicked and tried to get out. Use a winchman and do it properly - if you can send him down to put them in the basket he can just as easily come up with them. If you haven't got a winchman to send down then get one.
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This photo provided by the U.S. Coast Guard shows flooded roadways as the Coast Guard conducted initial Hurricane Katrina damage assessment overflights of New Orleans, Monday Aug. 29, 2005.
Anther pic of the devastation -
Reuters report -
Oil companies on Wednesday struggled to assess if it would take days, weeks or months to recover from Hurricane Katrina, as inspectors waded across flooded refineries and helicopters passed over wounded drilling rigs.
In the aftermath of Katrina, 95 percent of U.S. oil and natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico and nine refineries along the coast remained shut down.
Full report here
NOLA support
SASLess,
PHI has sent in 7 EMS aircraft and crews from TX and KY. Small effort for a daunting task. Other operators have done the same.
FAA did ground everyone for awhile to coordinate efforts.
Acadian Air had a generator stolen from a truck and an ambulance turned over. They were asked to move 100 infants before nightfall from a hospital.
Also pilots are volunteering to work for GOM pilots that have lost everything in the area. Trying to take care of our own.
Country music stars and some other from the area are doing a TV fund raiser Friday night for the Red Cross.
Fly Safe
PHI has sent in 7 EMS aircraft and crews from TX and KY. Small effort for a daunting task. Other operators have done the same.
FAA did ground everyone for awhile to coordinate efforts.
Acadian Air had a generator stolen from a truck and an ambulance turned over. They were asked to move 100 infants before nightfall from a hospital.
Also pilots are volunteering to work for GOM pilots that have lost everything in the area. Trying to take care of our own.
Country music stars and some other from the area are doing a TV fund raiser Friday night for the Red Cross.
Fly Safe
PHPA is starting a list of helicopter folks offering accomodation for displaced people....all ya'll in the States that can help....sign up.
I have made my offer by means of Gomex....who posts here sometimes.
I have made my offer by means of Gomex....who posts here sometimes.
How long will it take for the government to rachet up the rescue efforts?
Some People are looting for cash others for food while international airport remains open 120 miles away!
I pity those poor folk without the financial means to have moved away.
Bush said that coast gaurd had rescued 2000.
Its unclear if those that remain are stuck by flood waters or want to stay for the sale of a lifetime.
Begs the question, what was the biggest heli evacuation in aviation history?
Mickjoebill
Some People are looting for cash others for food while international airport remains open 120 miles away!
I pity those poor folk without the financial means to have moved away.
Bush said that coast gaurd had rescued 2000.
Its unclear if those that remain are stuck by flood waters or want to stay for the sale of a lifetime.
Begs the question, what was the biggest heli evacuation in aviation history?
Mickjoebill
Last edited by mickjoebill; 1st Sep 2005 at 10:12.