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C-130 returns after delivering relief supplies to Haiti

ROC Central News Agency

2010/01/31 19:04:00

Taipei, Jan. 31 (CNA) An Air Force C-130 transport plane returnedto Taiwan Sunday after an unprecedented 40,000-kilometer round-tripflight to deliver medical supplies and relief goods toearthquake-ravaged Haiti, one of Taiwan's 23 diplomatic allies.

All of the plane's 23 crew members, led by Col. Chang Hai-pin whoalso heads the Air Force 439 Wing, received a hero's welcome fromMinister of National Defense Kao Hua-chu, other defense officials andmembers of their families after returning to the Songshan militaryair base in Taipei City.

Kao said the military mobilized for the humanitarian aid missionimmediately after Haiti was struck by a deadly magnitude-7 earthquakeJan. 12.

"The round-trip flight across the Pacific Ocean took 15 days tocomplete, during which many of Taiwan's diplomatic allies andcountries with no diplomatic ties with Taiwan extended assistance toour propeller-driven plane," Kao said.

"We are grateful for their generous help...Without their kindassistance, we would not have been able to complete this tryingmission," he added.

According to the minister, the plane flew over the U.S. mainlandand deep into the Caribbean region and weathered many obstacles, suchas refueling, maintenance, bad weather and jet lag.

"The smooth completion of the mission was the fruit of stringentregular training of our military personnel and the assistance ofother countries," Kao said.

Out of respect for countries that do not diplomatically recognizeTaiwan and for possible future similar cooperation, Kao said he couldnot go into detail about the plane's flight route.

But he indicated that the experience gained from the mission wasprecious.

"In the future, our military and medical staff will cooperateeven more actively in regional and global post-disaster humanitarianrelief missions," Kao said.

He presented medals to all of the crew members in recognition oftheir efforts in completing the mission as scheduled.

The plane had to fly up to 10,500 nautical miles over 40 hours ona one-way flight, both of which set records for Taiwan's Air Force,said Chang, who disclosed that most of the route was over water.

The flight marked the first time that Taiwan's Air Forcecompleted a mission with U.S. assistance since the United Statesswitched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979, headded.

(By Hsieh Chia-chen and Sofia Wu)enditem/ls