Page 18 - TNT Dec 2017

General Aviation
Paul Weismann (third from left) volunteered to fly his Citation V on relief missions to areas hit by Hurricane Maria. Approximately 150 flights were completed to Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. Croix and Dominica.
by Rebecca Groom Jacobs Photos courtesy of PALS Sky Hope
Earlier this year, in a matter of just four weeks, three record-breaking hurricanes pummeled the United States and Caribbean. Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced, cut from power sources and left with unrecognizable homes and neighborhoods. Conditions in some
areas were referred to as “apocalyptic.”
As the world watched these disasters unfold from afar, many looked for ways to help, pulling out their checkbooks or donating goods. But seeing as the hurricane damage made it near impossible to access areas affected, it was clear aviation must play a huge role in delivering those goods and providing vital relief efforts.
PALS Sky Hope Disaster Relief Program
Just weeks before Hurricane Harvey making landfall, two charitable aviation organizations, Patient Airlift Services (PALS) and Sky Hope Network, merged to form PALS Sky Hope Disaster Relief Program. Little did the group know they were about to be thrown into the midst of three full- blown hurricane response efforts.
16 • TWIN & TURBINE
December 2017