Lois Rice, a paraplegic was transported as a medical evacuation refugee from the Louisiana State University Special Needs Medical Shelter after Hurricane Katrina by Charles Fazio of Alexandria VA as part of "Operation Teacup" a group of volunteer pilots, organized to "help drain the swamp of refugees"

Fazio, paid his own expenses for the aircraft for the 1686 nautical mile round trip to Baton Rouge La from his home airport in Alexandria VA, to Baton Rouge LA and the return flight to College Park MD to deliver
Lois Rice (click for full story WORD) or for HTM Filethen to return home to Leesburg VA.

Out of pocket expenses for the flight were approximately $1,225 for gasoline and maintenance reserves. Fazio made multiple evacuation flights during a 10 day period, to Wilmington, NC and Dallas TX, as well.

Operation Teacup is operated out of Charlottesville, VA by Fred Quarles, another pilot volunteer, who organized the group of aircraft owners to fly emergency evacuations, from a membership list of over 3,000 pilots provided by "Baldy Ivy" of Seligman Arizona from his website http://www.pilotsharetheride.com

The aircraft owners volunteered for these missions on short notice, one of which was arranged and in flight lin less than one hour, to re-unite a man in Houston with his family in Baton Rouge.. The group has flown over 40,000 passenger miles

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