By Jerome Lessard, The Intelligencer
ILOILO, PHILIPPINES – Aviation technician with 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron in Edmonton, Mast. Cpl. Erik Estrada, received what he asked for when Canadian Forces air-bridge flight ‘CFC 4009’ touched the ground
here Friday afternoon.
Helicopter parts to maintain three CH-146 Griffon choppers used to reach hardly-hit areas in the typhoon-ravaged country, that was.
Estrada arrived at Iloilo Airport Nov. 19, two days after a pair of army-painted choppers left 8 Wing/CFB Trenton on a C-17 Globemaster from 429 Transport Squadron.
The airport located in the extreme south of Panay Island is Canada’s hub for everything aid and material delivery since the Canadian Forces (CF) took on Operation Renaissance 13-1 about three weeks ago.
As of Friday, air crews from 408 Tactical Helicopter had conducted 62 all-day sorties in the areas surrounding Roxas City (about 100 kilometres north of Iloilo) to reach Filipinos in need of medical attention, as well as to pick up supplies at Roxas Airport.
The Griffons also dropped off some of the 315-plus members of Canada’s Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to areas where roads and infrastructures were wiped out by Typhoon Haiyan.
The day before CFC 4009 landed in Iloilo (last Thursday), a 408 Tactical crew and its CH-146 Griffon supported food relief delivery to Mambasao, Libacao and Cuartero, smaller towns located south west and south of Roxas City.
Due to operating in a different environment, several pieces of equipment on Canada’s military helicopters sustained “service abilities”, noted Estrada.
“We had ordered two main roller blades and tail blades for the aircraft (manufactured by Bell Helicopter) with a quick turn-around time, roughly two to three days,” he said from 408 Sqn.’s “camp” along Iloilo Airport’s Fire Department.
“The last two pieces of equipment were the most critical pieces of equipment, which arrived this afternoon on your C-17. Pieces of equipment that are vital to critical operations here for Op Renaissance.”
As soon as parts were taken off C-17 #704, they were unwrapped, checked up and an aviation technician set up his ladder at the rear of Griffon #444 shortly after to start replacing its tail blades.
Estrada added 408 Tactical Sqn.’s lads — including nine pilots — work closely in conjunction with local firefighters at Iloilo Airport, where the Canadian and squadron flags fly high.
“They (firefighters) are responsible to conduct aircraft desalination washing as we are flying in a salt-water environment. They have been helping us out tremendously,” he said, while half a dozen Filipino firefighters killed time by playing basketball and ping pong in their fire hall.
Estrada is proud of being part of ‘Op Renaissance 13-1’, but cannot help but think about his wife, who is expecting their child, back home in snowy Edmonton.
“Hey, don’t forget to say ‘hi’ to your wife. When I did that interview with CBC the other day I forgot to say ‘hi’ to my wife and I feel bad for it now,” said one of his fellow 408 Tactical lads.
It took about 20 minutes for CFB Trenton crews to unload the parts, an army vehicle and thousands of pounds of medical supplies and CF gear off CFC 4009, the ninth C-17 “chalk” to have left Trenton (last Wednesday) bound for the Philippines since Nov. 11.
A large waxed-cardboard box tagged “Canadian Forces Mail” was also on board.
Several Filipinos could be seen standing along a fence near Iloilo Airport’s air field — watching as palettes of material and aid were being pilled up.
While air-bridge flight CFC 4009 was leaving Trenton last Wednesday afternoon, nine Filipino-Canadian liaison officers, like 8 Wing’s public affairs officer Capt. Christopher Daniel, were being deployed across DART’s area of operation throughout Panay Island to help facilitate co-ordination of humanitarian assistance efforts between whole-of-government partners, local authorities and international aid organizations.
Daniel was not at Iloilo Airport Friday, but in the area of Roxas City, where, the Canadian Forces stated, DART engineers support UNICEF with the construction of shelters that will be used as portable classrooms in the northern city.
Daniel, 38, grew up in the Philippines’ capital Manila, where his parents, siblings and friends were when Typhoon Haiyan hit the Southeast Asian country.
“They are all fine and I spoke to them through Facebook soon after the storm came through,” he told The Intelligencer a few days before he was tasked by DND to deploy to the Philippines earlier this month.
jerome.lessard@sunmedia.ca
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Canadian Forces’ assets on the ground on Panay Island in the Philippines as of Friday, Nov. 29:
-CF’s Task Force Philippines has purified approximately 59,000 litres of water.
-Approximately 57,500 litres of purified water available for distribution.
-Treated nearly 2,700 medical patients.
-Delivered approximately 19,500 pounds of food on behalf of non-governmental organizations.
-Delivered approximately 33,500 pounds of humanitarian assistance goods on behalf of local authorities.
-Cleared 113 kilometres of roads.
-Air crews from 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron in Edmonton have conducted 62 CH-146 Griffon helicopter sorties
