Association Pilotes Volontaires (French: 'Volunteer Pilots Association') is a charitable NGO based in France which flies Search and rescue missions looking for refugees in danger on the Mediterranean Sea with their two reconnaissance aircraft.[1] It was founded by José Benavente[2] and Benoît Micolon in January 2018.[3] Their initial aircraft, a Dyn'Aéro MCR4S, was called Colibri, and flew its first mission in May 2018.[4]
Association Pilotes Volontaires typically operates by contacting the MRCC in Rome, rather than NGO rescue vessels directly.[5]
As of June 2019, they had logged 52 missions, sighting 54 boats and by their estimates saving more than 4,300 people.[4] At that date, the Association numbered 14 volunteer staff including eight pilots.[4]
In December 2020, Association Pilotes Volontaires[6] began operation of a second Dyn'Aéro MCR4S reconnaissance aircraft, named Colibri 2; both aircraft were still operational in December 2021.[7]
References
edit- ^ "Week-end de soutien pour l'association Pilotes Volontaires!" [Support weekend for the Volunteer Pilots association!]. www.bigorre-mag.fr. 6 September 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
- ^ "Migrants : À la rencontre de la sentinelle de la Méditerranée" [Migrants: Meet the Sentinel of the Mediterranean]. www.wedemain.fr. 4 December 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
- ^ "PILOTES VOLONTAIRES". arverefugies.fr. 27 August 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
- ^ a b c "Pilotes Volontaires" (PDF). www.pilotes-volontaires.org. 2 June 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
- ^ "Des pilotes professionnels s'engagent pour sauver les migrants en Méditerranée" [Professional pilots take action to save migrants in the Mediterranean]. www.infomigrants.net. 13 March 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
- ^ "Pilotes Volontaires". www.lilo.org. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
- ^ "December 2021 Update – Search and Rescue (SAR) operations in the Mediterranean and fundamental rights". European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, fra.europa.eu. 17 December 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
External links
edit- pilotes-volontaires.org Association Pilotes Volontaires website
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