HPI - Humanitarian Pilots Initiative
@hpi_humanitarian_pilots_initiative
Rehetobelhttps://www.hpi.swiss Non-profit OrganizationsOverview
About HPI - Humanitarian Pilots Initiative
The mission of the Humanitarian Pilots Initiative Foundation (HPI) is to utilize civil aviation to provide quick and uncomplicated assistance to people in need. Founded in 2015 by a group of friends, HPI has evolved into a professional humanitarian organization today, comprising around 40 dedicated volunteers.
Aerial monitoring
Since 2016, in collaboration with Sea-Watch e.V., HPI has been conducting regular monitoring flights over the central Mediterranean to assist boats in distress. Over 20,000 people have drowned on this migration route so far. Due to the escalating crisis, the operation becomes more intensive with each passing year: Over the past two years, we have conducted more than 275 monitoring flights, with our aircraft spending over 1,200 flight hours on patrol, maintaining continuous readiness for action. In total, more than 54,000 people have already been located. In many of these cases, our swift aerial identification of endangered boats proved to be necessary to initiate their rescue in time.
High-Precision Air Drops
With our self-developed Super Versatile Airdrop System (SVAS), HPI has revolutionized airborne aid delivery. SVAS offers a new, simple, and cost-effective solution to distribute relief supplies to where people have often been left to fend for themselves. After natural disasters, for example, help can be provided quickly and efficiently. SVAS is a modular system that allows for the dropping of a variety of payloads, from heavy sacks to protective containers for fragile goods, such as medicine. Each individual container, many of which can be loaded simultaneously into an aircraft, can carry up to 180 kg, and recycled rescue parachutes are used for highly precise drops. The simplicity of the system makes it significantly cheaper compared to conventional airdrops from large military aircraft or the use of helicopters. This enables less financially robust humanitarian organizations to better assist people in need.
Aerial monitoring
Since 2016, in collaboration with Sea-Watch e.V., HPI has been conducting regular monitoring flights over the central Mediterranean to assist boats in distress. Over 20,000 people have drowned on this migration route so far. Due to the escalating crisis, the operation becomes more intensive with each passing year: Over the past two years, we have conducted more than 275 monitoring flights, with our aircraft spending over 1,200 flight hours on patrol, maintaining continuous readiness for action. In total, more than 54,000 people have already been located. In many of these cases, our swift aerial identification of endangered boats proved to be necessary to initiate their rescue in time.
High-Precision Air Drops
With our self-developed Super Versatile Airdrop System (SVAS), HPI has revolutionized airborne aid delivery. SVAS offers a new, simple, and cost-effective solution to distribute relief supplies to where people have often been left to fend for themselves. After natural disasters, for example, help can be provided quickly and efficiently. SVAS is a modular system that allows for the dropping of a variety of payloads, from heavy sacks to protective containers for fragile goods, such as medicine. Each individual container, many of which can be loaded simultaneously into an aircraft, can carry up to 180 kg, and recycled rescue parachutes are used for highly precise drops. The simplicity of the system makes it significantly cheaper compared to conventional airdrops from large military aircraft or the use of helicopters. This enables less financially robust humanitarian organizations to better assist people in need.