September 11 was an unfortunate day for the entire aviation industry. Alan Purwin was killed in the crash on that fateful day onboard a Piper Aerostar. He was on his way to Medellin, Colombia. He had just finished shooting for Tom Cruise’s latest flick Mena. Alan, although a trained pilot was a passenger as another pilot was flying the chopper. The pilot too lost his life in the crash.
Alan Purwin was Involved in Air Ambulance Aid
It was in 1998 that Alan Purwin had set up an air ambulance service for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. He had, years later, revealed that he knew nothing about children’s hospital or medical care b ut was moved by the urgency of the need that the hospital had. He found the situation so compelling that he asked on the spot what the hospital needs and ended up providing them with an air ambulance. He had initially given the hospital a Agusta A109 but later upgraded the air ambulance to Sikorsky S-76. This air ambulance had given the hospital the capability to fly long distances.
Alan was Well Known for his Work during Hurricane Katrina
Apart from the air ambulance, perhaps Alan’s most charitable work was when he brought the plight of people in New Orleans before the world. He along with his camera operator JT Alpaugh had set their HD equipment ready to capture the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. He had later distributed the footage to all major news networks at no charge. Many believe that the footage was the reason why New Orleans received the aid and attention that it deserved at that time. This air ambulance legend was born in a family that loved flying. His father too was a pilot. He has been part of shooting blockbusters like The Italian Job, The Transformers, and Pearl Harbor. The air ambulance industry will miss this entrepreneur and aviator with a golden heart.
