“How Can We Help?”

The aviation community has responded to the Haiti earthquake with tremendous resolve, so much so that the National Business Aviation Association and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association have established on their Web sites ongoing advisories on how pilots and aircraft owners can best serve the recovery efforts.

The NBAA is working with the Department of Homeland Security's Critical Incident Management Group to provide aircraft to fly personnel and supplies to staging areas in the United States and to Haiti. The association notes that there is no fuel available at Haiti's international airport, which is closed to commercial flights. Haiti-bound pilots, once they are cleared to make a flight, are advised to carry at least an extra hour's worth of fuel for holds and landing delays.

AOPA advises "Because of the damaged airport infrastructure and the large number of relief flights already taking place, the best thing pilots can do now is donate money and stay clear of the area," and suggests that pilots donate the cost of a flight to Haiti in their aircraft to a relief organization.