We acted in a mountainous terrain where weather conditions change very quickly. We did many tasks at night, utilizing night imagination devices, which is very hard – so Colonel Pil. Krzysztof Kwiatkowski, commander of the “Feniks” Air Operations Team, talks about the service of flood pilots.
Military airmen within the framework Operation Fenix They monitor flood zones, execute reconnaissance flights over shafts or flood banks. However, they had the most hard task in the fight against the element. Many people in flooded areas say that at the time they were heroic.
Colonel Krzysztof Kwiatkowski: Thank you very much for these commendations, but I powerfully want to emphasize, and this is not a courtesy that all those active in helping the floodees, whether in uniform or without him, deserve the name of heroes.
Colonel Krzysztof Kwiatkowski, photograph by Krzysztof Wilewski
This is surely true, but in talks with residents of flooded areas, there are reports of military pilots, who in the first days of the flood were very frequently the last hotel for them. I don't even ask how many times you evacuated people from the roofs of houses that in a fewer hours the water swept off the surface.
I guess I wouldn't be able to give you the number of people evacuated at this point, due to the fact that we've sometimes taken a fewer people on 1 flight, sometimes from different places. It's easier to give me data on the raid. For 2 weeks in September, We spent more than 250 hours in the air to aid the floods. It is worth noting at this point that we did not only evacuate the population.
What another tasks did you have?
Helicopter crews conducted reconnaissance from the air, transported food, water, medicines, but besides of course the alleged large bags with dense materials to strengthen shafts or mucus. What's crucial is that all the operations were conducted both day and night.
The conditions for flying were not easy for chopper pilots. Why are tasks so hard at night?
I'll start with the area first. In the mountains, all chopper flight is challenging due to the fact that weather conditions change very quickly. However, tasks performed in the dark are a immense challenge even for modern machines and well-trained pilots. And I'll admit that without the support of peculiar military operators, without guidance, we wouldn't be able to do much of them.
What was the situation?
For example, 1 day, or alternatively late at night, it turned out that it was essential to throw large bags into a damaged airlock as shortly as possible to prevent the close population from flooding. If water had overcome the airlock, about 150 people would should be evacuated. Thanks to the efforts of Mi-17 crews with the aid of operators from JWK We managed to drop the sealing material precisely and prevent the tragedy.
And how many soldiers and how many helicopters were sent to fight the flood?
For the time of operations, the General Command of Types of Armed Forces has separated helicopters from the Air peculiar Operations Unit, the 1st Air Force Brigade, the 25th Air Cavalry Brigade, and the Aviation Search and Rescue Group from Powidz. The support was besides provided by the GROM Aviation squad and operators from the Commando Military Unit. We were besides assisted by an aviation component from the Czech Air Force.
JHow many helicopters did you have?
The machines utilized in the operation were actually a cross section of the chopper aviation of the Polish Army. Starting with the smallest helicopters, Mi-2, through W-3 and S-70 Black Hawk, ending with the largest
and the heaviest Mi-17, both from our resources and from the Czech component.
And how many helicopters were active in the operation at the most hard minute in the fight against the flood?
Nineteen machines, of which sixteen were straight involved. We kept 3 helicopters in retreat.
