HUMANITARIAN SERVICE AWARD For outstanding service in using rotorcraft to provide aid to those in need
Rainbow Helicopters Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
On Aug. 9, 2023, employees of Honolulu, Hawaii–based Rainbow Helicopters woke to devastating news: a fire had destroyed the town of Lahaina, Maui. Tey had an immediate, overwhelming desire to do something, anything, to help their greater Maui ohana—their Hawaiian family.
Tat day, the team used its wide-ranging
network to ask what people needed. Tey soon got a clear message: mothers and babies needed immediate assistance. Having given birth just six weeks earlier,
The Rainbow Helicopters team
Rainbow Helicopters owner and director of operations Nicole Battjes dove into action. She sent her father-in-law and a team member to buy formula, diapers, wipes, and other supplies, as much as could fit in an Airbus AS350 helicopter. As the two were buying over $4,000 worth of supplies, news spread among the rest of the team. People stayed past their shifts and others returned, all wanting to help. Mechanics ensured the helicopter was ready to fly, ground crew
weighed loads, operations managers oversaw loading, and pilots made the flight plan. On Aug. 11, the helicopter flew its first relief flight, landing at Kapalua Airport (PHJH), as close to Lahaina as it could safely land. Ground-tour company volunteers met the helicopter with vans to deliver the supplies. Te helicopter then flew to Maui’s
Kahului Airport (PHOG) to pick up and transport supplies that couldn’t get to Lahaina by ground. During the flights, the team saw firsthand Lahaina’s complete destruction. When they returned to Oahu, their reports inspired further action. A GoFundMe account the company set up hoping to raise $1,000
received over $76,000, 100% of which bought needed supplies. Rainbow Helicopters also established a base to accept physical donations. Over the next weeks, the entire team donated hundreds of off-time hours to purchase, receive, and catalog supplies; package and weigh loads; load helicopters; and fly 13 relief missions to Maui. “It took on a life of its own, and I was overwhelmed with pride in our
“It was really incredible to see people making this
effort, and it was a feeling of hope during such a tragic time.”
team, our community, and those making donations,” Battjes says. “It was really incredible to see people making this effort, and it was a feeling of hope during such a tragic time.” In those first weeks post-fire, Rainbow Helicopters delivered over 5,500 lb. of supplies, including more than 19 gal. of breast milk. Castle & Cooke Aviation donated all the jet fuel. Rainbow covered the avgas and aircraft for all the flights. Rainbow Helicopters partnered with several nonprofits, including a milk bank in
Oregon and two local organizations that helped distribute supplies. Efforts continued into the holiday season, with the company providing food, gifts, and necessities to families in need and an aircraft to fly Santa Claus to Maui.
– Nicole Battjes, owner and director of operations, Rainbow Helicopters
Sponsored by
60 ROTOR MARCH 2024
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