For more than 10 years, Joe Howley has been using his Pilatus PC-12 airplane for charitable flights.But last week, this son of Villages’ resident Joe Howley traveled into uncharted territory, flying medical supplies, food and doctors into earthquake-ravaged Haiti, a trip that didn’t really surprise his father.When I first heard about it, I figured it was typical of Joe, the Village of Calumet Grove resident said. All through his life he’s been giving back.

The younger Howley’s trip to Haiti came about after he received ane-mail from a member of the Pilatus Owners and Pilots Association stating that planes like the Pilatus were needed to get supplies and doctors into Haiti following the devastating earthquake there.According to Howley, who resides in Connecticut, the Pilatus plane is ideal for these types of missions because it can land on Haiti’s smaller airfields and has a large cargo capacity for supplies.

Howley’s first stop was in Virginia, where he picked up his co-pilot. The duo then flew to North Carolina to pick up an anesthesia machine.From there, it was off to Nassau, Bahamas, which would serve as Howley’s launching point throughout the four days he traveled back and forth delivering supplies and transporting doctors and nurses to and from Haiti.Working with nonprofit organizations such as Bahamas Habitat, Howley flew in and out of a number of airports throughout Haiti such as Les Cayes, Jacmel and Cap-Haitien, working nonstop to deliver as many supplies and transports as he could.

In order to do this, everything was a quick turnaround, Howley said.
While most of his time was spent in the air or loading and unloading his aircraft, Howley did hear the devastating survival stories from the doctors he transported back and forth, such as an earthquake victim who amputated her own arm in order to survive.Howley would also learn it wasn’t only Haitian citizens who suffered great loss. He recalled one New York doctor he flew out of Haiti who had traveled there looking for his family only to find out they had not survived.

You have a guy in the back of the plane who lost everybody, he said.It was pretty intense.Back at home and involved again in his regular day-to-day life, Howley already is thinking about making a second trip to Haiti. And reflecting on the experience, Howley said he is proud of his fellow pilots who stepped up to bring supplies that might never have made it otherwise.I’m just appreciative of the efforts that everybody was able to put in to get at least some help there, he said. I think it was a real tribute to the pilots of this country that they did what they did.And while Howley may not be one to pat himself on the back, his father couldn’t be more proud of his son’s charitable nature.We’re very proud of him and the work he’s done, the elder Howley said. We’re just real proud of him.