Lynden Air Cargo flying relief missions to Guam and Sudan

Left: Ryen Worrell and Hunter Beaver on the tarmac in Guam. Right: Ryen Worrell and Paul East lash down cargo on the aircraft deck.

Lynden Air Cargo is flying relief supplies to Guam and South Sudan to assist recovery efforts after Super Typhoon Sinlaku caused widespread damage in April. While Guam avoided a direct hit, the storm brought strong winds and heavy rain to the Northern Mariana Islands, including Saipan and Tinian. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) immediately mobilized response efforts in Guam under an Emergency Declaration. Meanwhile, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has been providing famine relief across South Sudan with humanitarian air drops.

According to Senior Commercial Operations Manager Dan Marshall, Lynden Air Cargo answered the call with flight crews operating two to four flights a day over the past month from Guam to Saipan, Rota and/or Tinian moving relief material for FEMA. 

“Our planes have been carrying everything associated with a typhoon/hurricane response such as food, water, generators, vehicles, and replacement power poles," Dan says. As of mid-May, the team had delivered approximately 45 loads between Saipan, Rota, and Tinian.”

The Guam flight crew includes Captains Robert Willoughby and Clark McLean; First Officers Thomas Aex and Chance Rhein; Flight Engineer Sergio Feal; Loadmaster Hunter Beaver; and Aircraft Mechanics Ryen Worrell, Thomas Niewulis, and Paul East.

“We completed around 120 airdrops in the last campaign for the WFP in South Sudan, and we’re all excited to be back in action there,” Dan says. The six-month mission for the WFP in South Sudan is primarily aerial delivery using the Pallet Retaining Aerial Delivery Systems (PRADS) with some added ground delivery. “We have multiple configurations of the aerial delivery system, but the PRADS configuration is primarily used for food delivery,” explains Ethan Bradford, Lynden Air Cargo Vice President of Technical Operations.

Lynden Air Cargo added its Civil Aerial Delivery capabilities two years ago, when it received FAA approval to use its aircraft for situations of famine, natural disaster, internal conflict, or the need for rapid response. Planes may be used for aerial delivery with different aircraft configurations, which may include delivery of fire retardant, astronaut recovery services, medical material drops, or other needed supplies in inaccessible locations.

The Lynden Air Cargo crew and aircraft passed the rigorous inspection process from the WFP as well as the indoctrination/orientation training. The crew has completed several weeks of active operations and will continue through the six-month contract period.

The WFP crew consists of Captains James Wallace and Shawn Ansley; Flight Engineer John McClellan; Loadmaster Korie Anderson; Cargo Supervisor Cory Myren; Flight Mechanics Cody Blood and James Hansen; and Project Manager/Loadmaster Corné Steyn.

“We appreciate the hard work of our Lynden Air Cargo teams to provide essential supplies to those in need during this emergency,” Dan notes.