Private Maritime search and rescue, such as “Sea-Watch” search in the Mediterranean sea to the refugees. But without help from the air you could places the small hose boats hardly. Therefore, they are supported by volunteer pilots.
Carola Missiles, the captain of the “Sea-Watch-3”, is for many people a term. Fabio Zgraggen, however, knows as well as anyone. They work closely together. The Swiss Pilot has established the “Humanitarian Pilots Initiative” (HPI), a private relief organization. He alternates with about six pilots, who fly regularly in the South of Europe, in order reconnaissance flights over the Mediterranean sea.
All of them are made up of volunteers. Up to ten hours of the day circling the HPI-airplane over the sea, and reports inflatable boats with migrants on Board of private ships such as the “Sea-Watch 3” and official Bodies, such as Maritime search and rescue coordination center MRCC in Rome.
The Pilot Fabio Zgraggen founded the organization’s “Humanitarian pilot Initiative”
The humanitarian pilot Association and the Sea Watch are actually one and the same Organisation, will be financed from the same donations. But the pilots of the HPI fly, regardless of the private NGO-boats. “We are in good weather seven days a week on the road,” said Zgraggen. Even when at times all the Sea-Watch the boats were seized by national authorities, were flying the pilots to continue their missions over the Mediterranean sea. They report every boat you see. “Each of them is potentially in distress,” said Zgraggen. “These boats are usually overloaded extremely, and not seaworthy. Within ten minutes can change a stable Situation so that the boat is sinking. Therefore, we are obliged to report every boat.”
Flights to the load limit
The flights over the Mediterranean sea for the volunteer pilots and three Crew members physically and mentally exhausting. A single flight may take seven hours at a stretch. Often the pilots to land only briefly to refuel, and then start again in the direction of the open sea. The area you fly over, has a size of approximately 17,000 square kilometers.
The small aircraft of the organization at the airport in Malta
In order to save weight and to make the many flight hours, the pilots of small aircraft on air-conditioning systems. “As a result, the temperatures in the plane sometimes rise to 45 degrees,” said Zgraggen. All of this requires well-trained pilots familiar with flying over the open sea. Also on the mental stress of the Crew and the Pilot are prepared, said Zgraggen. “It also happens that you have to from the air, helpless to watch as a man dies. This can be very stressful.”
Four years ago, the 34-year-old Zgraggen had in common with a pilot colleague of the idea. The two operate in Switzerland, a flight school. Given the daily reports of drowning migrants, they wanted to contribute something. They contacted various non-governmental organizations, joined together finally, with a Sea-Watch. Zgraggen and his colleagues realized that their Knowledge and skills could be of assistance. “The captains of the ships told us that they were more or less blind to the sea. We can give you the Overview you need,” said Zgraggen.
This point of view, have the pilots on the Migration over the Mediterranean sea
Private search and rescue under pressure
The was 2015. Since then, it has changed the international climate in comparison with the private search and rescue. The right-wing government in Italy is hard against the non-governmental organizations. Also, Malta has closed its ports for the private vessels. The justification of the European countries: saving-and-Seek in the Mediterranean sea is the responsibility of the state and not the private NGOs. In addition, these contribute in the Mediterranean sea for Migration, and served, indirectly, the Libyan traffickers. Pilot Zgraggen does not see himself as part of the problem. On The Contrary. “We are a part of the rescue system. We question what we Do constantly, but we can offer no definitive solution. Not on the sea. We can only make on human rights violations.”
The increased international pressure on private NGOs in the Mediterranean sea, the volunteer pilots to notice. A year ago, Malta, the HPI withdrew the permission to start. Without a legal basis to my pilots. You would have had all the necessary licenses. And as a private plane, you do not have to register the flights. Maltese authorities see it differently. In the meantime, the pilots have found a different airport, from where you can start. What’s that, you say. They fear permits the withdrawal of a further Start. But even then, said Zgraggen had the pilots already Alternatives in the view.
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