Aidwork with a twist: Afghanistan bush pilot
Most of us aidworkers who have worked in the deep field, have once upon a time used a flight from UNHAS, the UN Humanitarian Air Services.
It has always amazed me how these people manage the fly to the most remote places, with little or no dependence on technical support or flight control. Often the places are so isolated from.. well from anything, the pilots have to fly low over an airstrip first, to check if it is safe to land: no "people with guns" around? No cattle on the earth strip?
Marie Claire, a women's magazine, published an article about Danielle Aitchison, one of the female pilots of UNHAS flying in Afghanistan.
Take glimpse into an extra-ordinary life of a lady calling herself "just a regular chick".
Peter. Flemish, European, aid worker, expeditioner, sailor, traveller, husband, father, friend, nutcase. Not necessarily in that order.
2 comments:
I bow deeply, very deeply, in front of this young lady.
I don't know how many hours I have spent in UNHAS Dash-8, Twin Otter, Beechcraft 1900, Cessna Caravan and MI-8 helicopers in the last 4 years. But they were many, many hours.
I came across a big number of pilots, both male and female, all of them outstanding. Doing an excellent job in a very difficult environment. And thus being my life line. Without them, I would have simply been stuck, lost and in very uncomfortable situations.
@Peter
I know the feeling.. I remember the feeling of 'relief' each time I saw that plane coming in, knowing 30 minutes later, I will be far away from the issues and misery...
They are always my ticket 'out'...
P.
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