Fast-tracked assistance to the region

FLTLT Sean Joyce and his crew delivered 22,000 kilograms of supplies over 15 flight legs in just 72 hours to the Solomon Islands, following the devastation of Category 5 Cyclone Maila.

They delivered food, humanitarian kits, tarpaulins, blankets and medical beds.

The mission launched on short notice, with the crew deploying within 24 hours of the initial request for assistance.

“It is amazing that we can be at home one day and then halfway across the Pacific the next, providing this kind of support on such short notice,” FLTLT Joyce said.

It was part of a larger effort that saw more than 45 tonnes of supplies delivered across the region, including to Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Bougainville.

“The whole team felt proud by the end with how hard we’d worked and how much aid and assistance we were able to bring over,” he said.

With no heavy machinery on the ground, the team worked alongside local workers to unload the aircraft by hand.

“The biggest hurdle was the physical labour and how sore all the movers and loadmasters were by the end,” FLTLT Joyce said.

“We were looking at a 20-minute turnaround to offload everything, using lines of utes and workers in a big human chain to get the supplies out quickly so we could get back in the air for the next trip.”

On one mission, FLTLT Joyce navigated their C-27J Spartan onto a remote 2300-foot runway at Choiseul Bay, the Solomon Islands – the shortest runway he had ever attempted – to reach communities that had been cut off by the storm.

He said the approach required strong mental clarity because it was a tricky performance in poor weather.

“It’s incredibly fulfilling to see years of training and effort culminate in something so meaningful; using our skills as operators to improve the lives of people hit by a disaster,” FLTLT Joyce said.

As they taxied, they were met by crowds of local residents and school children who had gathered at the airfield to welcome the first sign of relief.

“A real highlight was seeing the school children come out to watch us arrive; they seemed so thankful that we were there bringing the help they needed,” he said.

They logged 25 flight hours as part of a DFAT-led Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief response last month.

“At the end of the day, it’s not about the flight hours or the tonnes of cargo. It’s about the look on the faces of the people in those remote villages when they realise help has finally arrived,” FLTLT Joyce said.

While the support to the Solomon Islands concluded on April 15, additional air mobility and damage assessments continued for PNG and Bougainville until April 29.