Mission Statement:

In response to a cataclysmic event which degrades regional surface transportation, California pilots and their aircraft will provide volunteer emergency airlift services to benefit their surrounding communities.


Concept of OPERATIONS:

The DART is a volunteer airlift resource available to help communities and emergency responders cope with a local disaster. Pilots do what they already know how to do – fly from one airport to another in appropriate weather conditions and give people or things a ride. The chairperson and his or her assistants organize the operation, connect the DART to the community and arrange individual missions for the pilots. The DART chairperson schedules a practice mobilization once per year and introduces the DART to the local city and county emergency managers so that they can request assistance if they need it during a real incident. DART air transportation services can include:

a)      transfer of displaced individuals and families to distant locations where they have family or friends who can care for them,

b)      large scale food airlift into the area,

c)      movement of emergency workers into or out of the area,

d)      reservoir reconnaissance,

e)      movement of ambulatory medical patients to out-of-area facilities,

f)       relocation of nursing home residents to out-of-area facilities who can care for them,

Should service needs outstrip a local DART’s capacity, the local DART will seek to call in mutual aid from affiliated DARTs throughout the state.

Meetings:

There are monthly DART meetings held within local EAA Chapters and other organizations.

Additionally, there are annual readiness practice events where pilots fly in for a simulated response to a simulated emergency.

New annual readiness exercise will be at ???

Monthly DART meetings are held within EAA Chapter meetings at:

Sacramento Executive Airport (EAA Chapter 52) - Meeting held on the last Tuesday at 7:30pm

Vacaville Nut Tree Airport (EAA Chapter 1230)  - Meeting held every 3rd Tuesday at 7:00pm

For More Information and/or to start your DART:

If you have further interest or questions, please email Paul Marshall, CalPilots DART chapter coordinator at  DART@calpilots.org . You may also click on any of the documents listed below to download your copy:

-        CalPilots DART Summary Sheet

-        Overview – Starting a DART Handout

-        Quick DART Implementation Checklist

-        Community Summary Sheet – Sample

-       Emergency Managers’ Summary Sheet

-        DARP Revision 2.0   16114 [Disaster Airlift Response Plan]