A Virtual Aid Flight to Haiti

As you are probably aware by now, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck near Port-au-Prince, Haiti on Monday evening. The quake has caused intense loss of life and devastation to property. Reportedly, even the control tower at Toussaint L'Overture International Airport in Port-au-Prince is structurally unsound now, due to the quake.

Donations to aid the people of Haiti can be sent through the Red Cross or the Salvation Army.

Other than giving, there really isn't much I can do individually to help the people of Haiti. The U.S. and many other countries will be sending relief supplies to Haiti on transports such as the C-130. I thought it would be interesting to see what a simulated aid flight from South Florida to Port-au-Prince might look like. I used the Captain Sim C-130 for this, departing from Homestead JARB (KHST) to Toussaint L'Overture (MTPP). As we have to steer around Cuba for political reasons, I cruised east, then southeast over the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos, before arriving at Hispañola. Here are some screenshots of the flight -- the Captain Sim C-130 sure is a fun plane to fly.

Haiti, on western portion of the island of Hispañola, lies directly ahead of us:



We are over the Gulf of Gonâve, about to turn east for the final approach onto Runway 09 at Toussaint L'Overture:



Here we are on final for Runway 09. I am executing a visual landing for this, as it is likely the radar and other systems at Toussaint L'Overture are down due to the disaster:



Here we are safely on the ground:



Hang in there, and God bless you, good people of Haiti. Help is on the way.