YourVagabond

Ten days of humanitarian helicopters aid in Kashmir after a devastating earthquake in 2005

German ISAF Army Aviation Mission in Afghanistan

It was almost 20 years ago, but I still remember the incident well. I woke up late and very tired in the Uzbek Hotel in Termez, located close to the Afghanistan border. A few minutes later, I’m a desperate attempt to beat the clock; I hurried down the windowless staircase. I was very late. Suddenly I almost lost my balance and barely managed not to fall down the stairs. Recovering from the dangerous incident, I worried about my status. I cursed last night’s party and promised to go to bed earlier. I didn’t know it yet, but going to bed early and resting shouldn’t happen anytime soon. Arriving at the HeliOps (Flight Operation Office) just on time, I immediately noticed nervousness. The Flight Operation Officer asked me if I had realized the earthquake. Well, now I comprehend what happened to me in the stair-house. This anecdote was the beginning of my Kashmir (Pakistan) mission.

Estimated reading time: 17 minutes

Kashmir: Earthquake Epicenter

We figured out very soon that the earthquake’s epicenter was almost 1000 kilometers away, located in Pakistan near Muzaffarabad. The 1000 kilometers in the line of sight, with deserts, dangerous borders, and high mountains, separated us from this place. 

Helicopter Transfer Across Afghanistan

The German government decided on short notice to send Afghanistan’s helicopter unit to provide humanitarian aid. I was one of the Sikorsky CH53 GS pilots involved in the operation. However, the plan to cross Afghanistan from the northwest to the southeast, including the Hindukusch mountains, took a lot of work. 

Cross-Country Flight Above the Taliban Stronghold

Our route via Kabul for refueling, followed by Jalalabad, Peshawar to Islamabad, was meant to cross the Taliban stronghold at Afghanistan’s eastern border to Pakistan. Flying very low, between 25 and 50 feet (7,5 – 15 meters) in rugged terrain, was our tried-and-tested tactic to avoid discovery and possibly small arms fire by the insurgence or Taliban fighters. Yeah, it’s “Rock’n’Roll,” but it’s not a relaxed way of traveling.

Hindukush Mountains: Helicopter Pilots Challenge

The lowest mountain pass between north and south Afghanistan, connecting Kunduz with Kabul, is over 12,000 feet high. Helicopter operations in these altitudes are very tricky, and pilots don’t like it. Every skilled pilot can feel that the aircraft doesn’t like it either. You are getting too close to the aerodynamic limits to feel good doing this. Therefore, whenever I had to breathe oxygen while flying a helicopter, I knew it was an altitude pilots should avoid. However, a Portable Helicopter Pulse Oxygen System is reliable and easy to use. An oxygen mask is unnecessary, but direct nose-fitted breathing cannulas do the job perfectly. 

Navigation Failure: A Deadly Trap

Navigation failure in Hindukush’s high mountains has caused many crashes and fatalities. A common reason for flight accidents is simply following the wrong valley. If the valley gets too narrow, then there is no option to turn around anymore, and at the same time, the pilot would need more (unavailable) aircraft performance to pass the mountains above. It’s a deadly trap. 

The Situation in Kashmir, Pakistan

We arrived safely at our improvised operation base in Islamabad three days after the earthquake. However, the extent of devastation I encountered from the helicopter cockpit exceeded my imagination. The quake was the worst natural disaster in Kashmir over the past 100 years, killing 86,000 people, and a similar number were injured. In addition, millions of Kashmir citizens lost their houses and were displaced—an unimaginable tragedy! 

Quake’s Extent of Devastation

Some of the villages just disappeared, sliding down into Wildwater rivers. Enormous landslides carried vast amounts of debris and buried buildings or even whole towns and roads under thick mud and rocks. Rivers suddenly found new riverbeds, destroying everything in their unique way. Only a few buildings withstood the shock, but many encountered structural damage. The risk of after-quakes made them not safe to enter. Many of the bridges I saw couldn’t resist the massive shock and collapsed. As a result, vast areas, including thousands of people, were completely cut off from the outside world. Not to mention medical supplies or services, etc., even the availability of clean, fresh water was a problem. 

“Mass Casualties” Situation: A Humanitarian Disaster

After successfully landing in one of the affected towns, the helicopter’s arrival was the last lifeline for many victims. You can call what we have regularly witnessed a “mass casualties” situation. Hundreds of desperate, hungry, thirsty people were bringing us their injured loved ones. Sometimes begging us to take them with us to Islamabad, hoping there would be medical help. But, most frustrating for me was if we didn’t find a safe landing site and had to leave without helping the people on the ground. 

Desperate Quake’s Victims

I will never forget the incident when a desperate father in the crowd threw his newlyborn baby through the hydraulically just-closing ramp into the already overcrowded helicopter’s cabin. He ran away, and we had no option but to take the baby alone to Islamabad. 

Triage Dilemma—Complexity of Life-or-Death Decision

I believe the medical doctors on-scene doing so-called triage had the most demanding job. Triage means quickly examining injured people so those in the most severe condition can be treated first. It’s a process of prioritization. But, lack of resources forced the doctors to decide about life or death by writing a number on the patient’s arm or head. I didn’t know the meaning of the numbers until a paramedic explained the system. The people with the number one were in such a severe condition (many with blood poisoning, for example) that it would have been a “waste” of any resources trying to help them. They were going to die anyway. 

Unveiling the Shocking Reality

I was shocked! There were so many of them, so many with the wrong number. From that day on, my perspective changed, and I’ve seen only living deaths instead of patients. Primarily dealing with the “1” marked kids was horrible. But leaving them behind was even worse. 

Lifeline Helicopter: A Game Changer

I was sure our help would be like a water drop in the ocean. But, anyhow, even if you can save one life, it is worth it. We continued flying from early morning until sunset for the next ten days. Flying a helicopter in unknown mountains in the dark would have been too dangerous. The mission was to bring food, water, helpers, and medicine into the area and bring wounded people back to Islamabad for further assistance. We did well. At least we did our best to save as many lives as possible.

Flight Operations Pushing the Boundaries: Helicopter’s Technical Limitations

Unfortunately, every aircraft has “merciless” technical limits based on physics and aerodynamics laws. For example, the maximum available engine power or the maximum take-off weight of an aircraft is something you can’t change in the field. If you do, you risk your own life and the passengers. But, of course, for desperate parents trying to save their kids’ lives, it’s a hard fact to accept. 

Kashmir: The Beauty of the Land

There were also beautiful things. Kashmir is fantastic—a breathtaking place. The landscape I saw from the cockpit was fascinating. The vegetation ranges from tropical forests in the foothills of Muzafarabad to temperate forests between steep mountains and wildwater rivers to alpine grasslands at high altitudes. 

Marvel at the Majestic Himalayas

I found focusing on the helicopter flying challenging as I saw the snow-covered summits of the massive Himalayan Mountains. The impressive peaks were thousands of meters higher than we ever could climb with our super-powerful helicopter. 

Kids’ Joy of Life

But seeing kids playing with improvised toys in the ruins of a village impressed me even more. Despite all, their happiness and the inextinguishable joy of life were inspiring and motivating simultaneously. We could learn many things from our kids—most importantly, that life must go on.

Between Helicopter Pilot’s Duty: Focus on Photography

My biggest problem was the time available for photography. There was always time pressure. The time I spent on the ground was minimal. Our helicopter engineer was simultaneously a loadmaster and supervised our gunners/observers by loading and unloading the aircraft. It usually went smoothly, and we only needed 20 to 30 minutes. It is enough time for a short rest between flight preparation and a briefing for the next mission. After that, I had a few minutes to grab the camera and capture some snapshots. So, I used the remaining time most efficiently without putting myself under extra stress.

Mentally Demanding Photography

Photography in this extreme situation was not only in practice but mentally challenging, too. Of course, every photographer is a voyeur, but I stick to my limits. I refused to act like several other photo reporters I met there. Chasing for the best, most tragic shot, regardless of the victim’s privacy and without any respect, was unacceptable to me. 

My Strategy as a Photographer

Still, I don’t want to judge anybody. I had no economic pressure to do photography, which is a significant difference. So I decided to keep my distance and act more from the background. I didn’t want to bother these poor people or even stand in the way of medical personnel. That’s why I captured most of my pictures using a tele lens. My first digital Canon SLR (Single-lens Reflex Camera) with a Sigma 70-200 2.8 lens did the job most of the time, and I loved this camera.

Professional Camera and Lenses: The Best Choice for Heavy-Duty Performance

A harsh and dirty environment requires robust equipment. Moreover, the landing heavy (almost 19 tons or 42,000 lbs of the CH53!) helicopters are causing a solid downwash, producing a cloud of dirt. Even using a waterproof camera bag, known for water sports, could not protect my Canon EOS 20D from the omnipresent dust. So, I tried to seal my camera with electrical isolation tape. It helped a lot, but I still had difficulty cleaning the camera sensor every night. I decided to buy a dust and rainproof camera during these days. So, a Canon EOS 5D Mk2 should soon become my replacement camera. 

Motivation: The Key to Successful Photography

I was interested in something other than the documentation but in the portraits. I wished to capture the personality, the atmosphere, and the feelings of the people and then document the facts. Watching for esthetics, beauty, and exceptional situations in this chaos inspired me more than the sad reality. Yes, it’s a very subjective approach to photography, but it is not my ambition to be a photo reporter. However, I can show you my personal “trues” in my pictures.  

Media: Public Relations or Reality

Two months later, as I returned home to Germany, the memory of what happened in Pakistan was still very intense. It was an intense experience I wanted to share with others. But after two months, the media took no interest and stopped reporting. It was a “too” long time ago event. I was disillusioned and realized that no one is usually bothered about what’s happening in other parts of the world without dramatic TV news. I realized that not the reality counts, but published pictures, movies, and what the media reports about it or not.

Capturing Memories to Last a Lifetime

Only the opportunity to help could turn my impressions from this mission into positive memories. I saw many victims, sometimes only for a moment, but many of them I will remember forever. 

I’m looking forward to reading your comments, and please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. 

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