Local pilots are transporting much-needed supplies from Moore County Airport to Western North Carolina to assist those affected by Hurricane Helene.
“More than a dozen flights have already delivered loads from Moore County Airport to the donation staging site at the Statesville Airport,” said Phil Werz, the president and CEO of Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB), on Facebook Tuesday. “Please continue to drop off your donations at the airport between 8:00 am-8:00 pm. As long as you keep donating, we’ll find ways to get it to our neighbors in Western North Carolina.”
Total Flight Solutions is also helping in the aftermath of Helene. They are an airplane and helicopter flight school and charter operation based in Louisburg, N.C., with a second location at the Moore County Airport.
“Ever since the storm bands cleared the area Saturday morning, they have been operating five of their helicopters alongside civilian rescue and relief efforts to organize and triage distress calls coming in from all over the region,” said Jenny Lowd, chief instructor at Sandhills Community College Aviation Program, who works with flight schools in the area to help facilitate students’ practical flight training, including Sandhills Flyers and Total Flight Solutions. “Coordinating with State EOC and civilian relief organizations like the Cajun Navy and the Carolina Aviators Network (CAN), they have delivered supplies to localized drop zones, transported volunteers, conducted survey overflights, and evacuated those affected who want to leave the area. Using their fleet of smaller helicopters, they have been able to access more remote areas that have been completely isolated by the storm that airplanes and larger military helicopters would have trouble accessing.”
Feature photo: Donations are being accepted at the Moore County Airport to assist the victims of Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina. Photo credit CVB.
