MAF Assists Harrison Ford in Haiti PDF Print E-mail
MAF Assists Harrison Ford Humanitarian Trip

Thursday, 18 February 2010 at 09:22 (article from MAF Canada facebook page)

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – MAF pilots recently provided acclaimed actor Harrison Ford with an airstrip chart of the Port-au-Prince airport and offered him a personal briefing at the MAF hangar.

Ford told MAF the information its pilots provided helped him in his humanitarian mission to relieve suffering following the Haiti earthquake. Ford flew from Los Angeles into the capital city’s airport in his own aircraft loaded with medical volunteers and supplies to help earthquake-stricken Haiti.

“MAF is honored that an international celebrity such as Ford visited our post at the Port-au-Prince airport,” said MAF President John Boyd. “We commend him for his selfless humanitarian work.”

Ford, 67, is among the most successful film artists in history. His roles have included Han Solo in “Star Wars” movies, the title role in “Indiana Jones” adventure films, and as CIA official Jack Ryan in screenplays based on author Tom Clancy’s military novels.

The award-winning actor flew the supplies and team in his Cessna 208 Caravan to assist Operation Smile's relief effort in Fond Parisien, a community in central Haiti.

While at Haiti’s main airport, Ford learned of MAF and asked the MAF staff to brief him on the area and the airstrip. MAF pilots John Munsell and Jason Krul provided the actor with a briefing and an airstrip chart. Ford stopped by the hangar a second time to thank MAF for the airstrip chart, said John Woodberry, MAF disaster response/security manager.

During his visit, Ford also flew medical teams in his airplane into the central Haiti town of Hinche and piloted other flights into Santo Domingo, capital of the neighboring Dominican Republic.

Ford, who is also a helicopter pilot, is a noted philanthropist and has used his aircrafts in mountain rescue operations.

Operation Smile (www.operationsmile.org) is a Norfolk, Va.-based charity that offers free cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries in poor nations.