Capttony wrote:did anyone know about jimmy using his aircraft for help in past hurricanes...Not until someone else leaked that he was doing it.....
yup, but i was asked not to say anything on the grounds that good deeds don't need to be a PR media event.
and here is a copy of the email i received yesteray from the Seaplane Pilots Association.
With the full impact of Katrina only now beginning to be known, many Seaplane Pilots Association members have called to ask what they can do to help, what has happened to other members in the area, and whether we know of anybody who can evacuate family members from the area. With information now beginning to flow, we wanted to alert you to the present state of affairs and sources for additional news in the coming days and weeks.
CAN SPA HELP ME EVACUATE FAMILY OR FRIENDS?
Unfortunately, no. Civilian flights are prohibited in most of the significantly impacted areas, and at present there are no seaplanes known to be available for such missions in the Gulf Coast region. When seaplanes are permitted to operate in the region, efforts will be guided by relief agencies, and are unlikely to be permitted to operate on privately-directed missions for in the near term.
HOW CAN I HELP?
Because of the extreme security and infrastructure conditions, it is presently not practical or safe to operate civilian aircraft in the region. Challenges presently include armed hijacking and robbery, unavailability of fuel in the region, unknown debris conditions in area waterways and on area shorelines, and lack of lodging, food, and water support for volunteers and residents alike.
Please do not self-dispatch to the area. Temporary flight restrictions preclude unauthorized civilian flight operations over much of the Mississippi coast and the New Orleans area (see
http://www.aopa.org for TFR information), and FEMA is asking volunteers to dispatch only when asked to do so by a volunteer organization working with the relief effort command and control structure.
The Seaplane Pilots Association is working with a variety of private and government agencies to identify opportunities for volunteers with seaplanes. If you would like to volunteer your services as a pilot and/or your aircraft, please send an email to
spa@seaplanes.org. Include your name, how we can reach you, and the details of what you can offer. If offering your piloting skills, include details about your experience on floats and amphibs that may be relevant. If offering an aircraft, let us know what type aircraft, whether the aircraft is amphibious, and specifics including cruise speed, fuel consumption rate @ cruise, fuel capacity, acceptable fuel grades (100LL, Jet, auto fuel) present aircraft location, number of (useful) seats, and useful load. This information is sought to assist in identifying suitable volunteers and assets in a timely manner.
To reiterate, we do not anticipate a role for seaplanes in the recovery effort until order is restored, fuel is supplied, and waterway conditions can be assessed. This could be days or weeks from now. Updates will be posted at
http://www.seaplanes.org as conditions evolve.
Additional information about how you can help with donations and in the general aviation context (wheels or floats) can be found at The Air Care Alliance's web site (
http://www.aircareall.org), AOPA's web site (
http://www.aopa.org), and on FEMA's list of organizations seeking cash donations for relief efforts (
http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=18473)
I never got around to replacing that one after an ex-girlfriend "borrowed" it. 
(and now I'm done with my senseless rant 
Maybe that's why the song title is "Trying to Reason with Hurricane Season". Apparently, it just can't be done.... 
