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| The Obscure 'Airline'
That Evacuated US Ebola Patients |
By Patty
Doyle |
| At a small, single runway airport in Cartersville, Georgia,
a tiny airline got an urgent and unprecedented call last week: to
fly the only two Americans known to have contracted the Ebola virus from
West Africa to the U.S. for treatment. The first flight took off from
Liberia on Friday, carrying Kent Brantley, a doctor from Texas. On Tuesday,
Nancy Writebol, the second patient, arrived at the Emory University Hospital
in Atlanta. Phoenix Air Group may not be a household name. But the little-known airline specializes in "weird" government assignments, including serving as an air ambulance for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We do a lot of very unique programs that involve aviation for various federal agencies, this is simply one of many contracts that we hold, Dan Thompson, a Phoenix Air spokesman told Mashable. We do a lot of weird stuff. According to its website, Phoenix Air owns 85% of the land at the airport in Cartersville (population 19,731), taking up five hangars and two office buildings. Federal records show that the company employs about 150 people and owns 45 aircrafts. Its business with the federal government totaled $46 million in fiscal year 2011, the most recent year that figures were available at fedspending.org. Other databases with more recent information show the company won contracts in 2013 from the Defense Department, Interior Department, and the Department of Health and Human Services, which operates the CDC. It has also performed aviation services on behalf of the Justice Department and NASA. Phoenix Air says on its website that it has some of the only aircraft in the world uniquely designed for critical air ambulance tasks two highly modified Gulfstream III jets. These aircraft have cargo doors, something other Gulfstream jets lack, and a "critical care package" to serve one or more patients. It does not advertise biohazard containment capabilities, but pressurized aircraft are essentially containment vessels on their own, and photos of the evacuation showed medical staff wearing Hazmat suits and the interior of the plane covered in protective plastic sheets. The mission to pick up the two American patients Brantly and Writebol who had been caring for Ebola patients when they contracted the virus involved two round trips to West Africa including at least two fuel stops each, on the Azores on the way to Africa, and in Maine during the flight back to Atlanta, as well as extensive international coordination. The company's also has a military contracting division, known as Phoenix Force, which is separate from its civilian operations. Among the public missions are training drills for U.S. Navy and NATO in which the company's fleet of Learjets simulate enemy aircrafts. The company also hauls targets to gunneries for live fire exercises, among other tasks. The company is licensed to transport explosives and "dangerous goods," according to its website. Some of the company's contracts from 2013 include passenger airlift services for U.S. Africa Command, jet flight services for the Navy, and numerous listings for air ambulance services. We just quietly live in the background and provide aviation and aviation services, Thompson said. This was believe it or not not that unusual for us; its just gotten a lot of media attention. Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments. Topics: air ambulance, atlanta, CDC, Ebola, Phoenix Air, U.S., US & World, World YUP, Maybe you should find out WHY the N number purports that the plane used to transport EBOLA patients, is shown as owned by itself. IE the N number LLC and in DELAWARE. Specifically the 10th floor of the Brandywine Bldg. The N number is NOT shown as owned by Phoenix Air. SO who is the company on the 10th floor of the Brandywine Bldg. that owns this plane? WHY do journalists not follow through in their research? Inquiring minds want to know. http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=173PA http://mashable.com/2014/08/05/shadowy-airline-flew-american-ebola-patients-home/ |
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