We flew a number of earthquake relief flights into Port au Pince, Haiti. Mostly medical supplies and a high tech table like device to set leg bones of the seriously injured. Also took a young orphan back to the USA that had been per-arranged prior to the disaster, as both her parents had died of aids. The situation was both interesting and ugly.
We'd be in a long line of flights on approach, the US Mil worked approach and ground radio. They were fantastic and got everyone to a grass parking spot instantly. Where we unloaded and then departed. On one approach, we had to do a 360 on final directly over the shoreline city, as the cargo plane in front stopped on the runway.
During that low altitude, 360 on final, we traveled through the rising smoke from tire-fires, watched people battle each other on the ground, saw bodies in the street amongst the rubble and more. It was surreal. To the best of my knowledge, we were not shot at.
What was most frightening were the final flights in. By that time, we were able to wander through the city a little. They were starting to clean up the rubble, and there were bodies in the piles. Ugh.
At the risk of understating the brutally obvious, that place is best avoided. I will never go back.
