This phrase is common in the pilot community when someone needs help, especially when aircraft can be part of the solution. After Hurricane Helene made landfall September 26, members of the Carolina Aviators Network (CAN) turned its social media platform into a volunteer clearinghouse.

In the days immediately following the storm, nearly 6,000 national guardsmen from 11 states deployed as part of relief efforts, with the North Carolina National Guard hauling in more than 100,000 pounds of supplies from the Federal Emergency Management Agency by C-17.

• READ MORE: National Guard Deploys Air Assets in North Carolina Helene Response

The morning after the storm, the CAN Facebook group also exploded with an overwhelming response from its members, eager to volunteer their time and aircraft to help, according to Joel Amick, an organization director at the time. 

With people so willing to volunteer their time and airplanes, they agreed that they needed to do something, and quickly, Amick said. The organization began as a Facebook group in 2021, advertising fly-ins and fly-outs. Today it has more than 7,200 members and is a state-recognized 501(c)(3) corporation in North Carolina and South Carolina.

That “something” turned out to be 1,000 volunteers, including over 300 GA pilots who mobilized and showed up at Statesville Regional Airport (KSVH), which became a major distribution point for supplies to be delivered to the storm-ravaged areas.

According to Erica Zangwill, a 400-hour pilot and CAN president, the organization along with the Hurricane Helene Airlift Relief Facebook group were simultaneously among the first on the scene. 

Airports across North Carolina and South Carolina became collection points.

Supplies were collected at Raleigh Executive Jetport (KTTA), according to Leeanna Tolles, vice president of the organization. Tolles is also vice president of technical operations for an aircraft solutions company and director of maintenance for a Cirrus Service Center—both jobs that require attention to detail. She said she used those skills to help facilitate the relief efforts by air and ground, although the latter was hampered by the lack of roads due to storm damage.

“We had a meeting on [September 30] with several other companies at KTTA, and by [the next day] we were collecting donations from as far away as New Jersey and loading airplanes headed for the mountains, as well as to the larger distribution sites like Statesville,” Tolles said. “Between airplanes and trucks/trailers, we have moved over 100,000 pounds of aid into the mountains. Our collection and dissemination of aid is still continuing as of October 20.”

• READ MORE: Responders Turn to Drones Amid Hurricane Recovery

Vacant hangar space was used for sorting and weighing donations. A wide variety of aircraft were used, including Robinson R44, Eurocopter EC-135, and Bell 47 helicopters. Fixed wing aircraft included a Daher Kodiak, Beechcraft King Air, and Pilatus PC-12, as well as Citation and Vision jets. A Douglas DC-3 and the military variant a Douglas C-47 were used as well as Piper and Cessna trainers, Kitfox and Super Cubs.

The organization worked with airport managers to arrange for hangar space and, in some cases, fuel discounts.

People pitched in wherever they were needed, said Mike Davis, a 4,500-hour pilot with multiple

certificates. Davis said he was surprised by the generosity and compassion of people in general.

“On [October 1] I worked controlling ground traffic through the gate at Statesville,” Davis said. “I took note that we had a car, truck, or SUV passing by me every 10 seconds. I recognized one woman

as she came in. She admitted that it was her third trip. Her car was packed to the roof.

Many people parked their cars by the road after dropping off their donations and went back

inside the hangar to help with the weighing and loading operations.”

Staying ahead of the needs was critical, said Stephen Linson, director of communications for 

CAN and a 430-hour commercially rated pilot. 

“The first 48 hours it was critical to get life-sustainable supplies up to the mountains,” Linson said. “After more information came into play, we found out that medication and life-saving supplies were most important.” 

First Flight

Zangwill said CAN’s  first flight was in the Piper Comanche, carrying 400 pounds of donated supplies to Rutherford County Airport (KFQD) in  North Carolina which was only five minutes away by car from some of the most devastated areas.

“We carried everything from water, baby formula and bottles, to toiletries, first-aid items, dog food, and cleaning products,” she said. 

At the time, powdered baby formula and clean water for mixing it were essential, she said, “along with EpiPens and Benadryl for first responders who were getting stung. The flooding had destroyed yellow jacket in-ground nests, leaving them aggressive.”

In a two-week period, CAN pilots flew 680 flights out of Statesville alone, carrying 34,224 pounds of relief supplies, she said.

The relief flights headed into the mountains of North Carolina required special skills. Low-time pilots or those who didn’t have much experience in the mountains were discouraged from making the flights, or were paired with more experienced pilots. Personal weather minimums were respected. As airlift operations increased, CAN requested that relief pilots have at least 300 flight hours and experience flying in mountainous terrain with a preference for two pilots on board.

• READ MORE: Western North Carolina Air Traffic Up 300 Percent After Hurricane Helene

The airspace and radios were busy. “Air traffic could be chaotic at times, but the air traffic controllers did an excellent job ensuring everyone’s safety,” Zangwill said.

When the aircraft landed, the ground operations team unloaded them quickly, with a goal of getting back into the sky within 15 minutes.

One of the most difficult things for pilots, however, was overflying the hurricane-damaged communities, littered with wrecked homes, roads, and bridges, Zangwill said.

“Flying the airplane took precedence over everything else,” she said. “So even while looking down on the devastation, my thoughts were focused on piloting the aircraft and staying ahead of it, maintaining spatial awareness of terrain and other aircraft. This is also where having two pilots aboard was very helpful.”

While TFRs were put in place in North Carolina for emergency response activities, as well as a survey by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris of the affected areas in Raleigh and Asheville, the impact on relief operations was brief and did not cause any major disruptions as supply drops continued near the edges of the TFR, Zangwill said.

The most challenging aspect of the operation was communication. Cell phone service was nonexistent or hit-and-miss as towers became jammed, which became overwhelming as information changed on an hourly basis, she said.

“[However, by day five,] we had transformed into a well-oiled machine,” Zangwill said. “We worked in conjunction with Hurricane Helene Airlift Relief, a Facebook group formed at the onset of the hurricane, to establish an intelligence center of sorts. Volunteers utilized an old-fashioned whiteboard to keep track of supply needs at each airport we were delivering to, along with various other pieces of information they were monitoring and updating.”

Lessons Learned

Pilots who participated in the relief effort say they now have a playbook for future disasters that will help the GA community and ground-based volunteers act quickly to save lives before government agencies and larger organizations have the ability to step in.

“Will disaster relief become part of our focus at CAN? No,” said Zangwill. “But if we can leverage our pilot license and aircraft to assist our neighbors in the event of another disaster, we certainly will.”

Zangwill has advice for other pilots who might want to help after a natural disaster.

“Refrain from photo flights—they only congest the airspace and compromise safety,” she said. “Check NOTAMs and adhere to PPRs, monitor fuel at landing airports (some had fuel shortages), and coordinate with ground contacts to confirm the ongoing need for airlift support. It’s a good problem to have, but we nearly had too much assistance.”

Fundraisers will continue, she said, with efforts now directed toward recovery and rebuilding in those affected regions.

“Additionally, we are hosting a large fly-in toy drive at Woodward Field Airport (KCDN) in  Camden, South Carolina, in a couple weeks to gather toys for families in western North Carolina whose Christmas will be quite different this year,” she said. “We plan to continue our efforts until support is no longer essential.”

The post GA Pilot Group Delivers More Than 100K Pounds of Supplies to Storm-Ravaged North Carolina appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

FEMA requested the extra military assistance to help respond to the devastation left behind from the storm. Earlier this week some 6,500 National Guard troops from 12 states were deployed, many by boat and helicopter to assist with the rescue and cleanup in the wake of Helene.

The news comes as Asheville, North Carolina, aviation officials issue new guidance for GA aircraft attempting to access the regional airport with relief supplies.

• READ MORE: National Guard Deploys Air Assets in North Carolina Helene Response

These troops, which include members of the 82nd Airborne and a forward support company, will assist in delivering food, water, and other critical aid items “over the last mile to the point of need” in the communities hardest hit by the storm, Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder said Wednesday.

In addition to assisting with the delivery of the supplies, the troops will assist in the removal of debris from affected routes.

Aviation is a critical lifeline in the operation, connecting communities in the storm-affected region of North Carolina that have been cut off by floodwaters, blocked roads, and downed trees and power lines.

Homerville, Georgia — A tattered American flag waves in the breeze in the aftermath of #HurricaneHelene, as Airmen from the Georgia Air National Guard’s 116th Maintenance Group carried out route clearing operations as part of the ongoing relief efforts, September 28, 2024. pic.twitter.com/cq5bNnqdIx

— GA National Guard (@GeorgiaGuard) October 2, 2024

The U.S. Army and Navy have been using helicopters to ferry in supplies and rescue people from areas that cannot be accessed by roads. The U.S. Air Force has also assisted in search-and-rescue missions.

GA Aircraft Headed to Asheville

As of 2:30 p.m. EST Wednesday, any GA aircraft heading to Asheville Regional Airport (KAVL) will be required to have a clearance from FEMA before they are allowed to land. 

The airport is a base of operations for the Hurricane Helene relief efforts, and throughout the week it has seen a steady flow of GA traffic with pilots bringing in much-needed supplies.

Airport officials said the prior permission is required to ensure the safety of aircraft and personnel since so many GA aircraft are coming in to drop off supplies and then head back out. 

“[KAVL] is serving as the gateway for these coordinated flights carrying large-scale quantities of supplies, which are then distributed throughout the region by federal, state, and local emergency agencies,” the airport said in a statement. “It is important to note for the public that [KAVL] airport is not a distribution center, but rather a receiving point for these coordinated supply efforts.”

The airport is also used for commercial air traffic, which officials note remains unaffected by the increase in general aviation operations.

The post DOD Ups Military Helene Aid Response appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The North Carolina National Guard said it had deployed more than 200 vehicles and aircraft, “including hoist and emergency aviation assets,” along with more than 500 soldiers and airmen in the state.

“NC Air National Guard is hauling over 100,000 pounds of supplies from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in a C17 to Western North Carolina as part of Helene support,” it said in a post on X Monday afternoon.

According to the National Guard, some 5,500 national guardsmen have been deployed as part of the Hurricane Helene relief efforts in 11 states.

In areas where roads are impassable, helicopters are being used to airlift in supplies and rescue trapped people. Photographs from the region show people climbing aboard military helicopters carrying bundles of clothing, house pets, and meager belongings they were able to save from the rising waters.

Many of the flood-ravaged areas are only reachable by air as the roads are blocked by flood debris, downed power lines, mud, and flooded-out cars.

NC Air National Guard is hauling over 100,000 pounds of supplies from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in a C17 to Western #NorthCarolina as part of #Helene support.

: Maj. Monica Ebert pic.twitter.com/cAY4ndpVKE

— NC National Guard (@NCNationalGuard) September 30, 2024

• READ MORE: Volunteer Owner-Pilots Needed For Helene Relief 

In Asheville, one of the hardest hit areas, officials struggled to provide drinking water, food, and other necessary supplies to the residents of the mountain town where at least 35 people are believed to have died. Communication in the area is spotty at best as internet and phone lines are down.

Operation Airdrop

In North Carolina relief is also coming from civilian organization Operation Airdrop, which as of noon EST Monday had approximately 2,000 volunteers flying civilian aircraft to bring supplies to the area.

The nonprofit organization was created in 2017 to help in times of disaster.

Early Monday morning, Operation Airdrop flights began launching from Concord-Padgett Regional Airport (KJQF), transporting supplies to Hickory Regional Airport (KHKY) and Statesville Regional Airport (KSVH), where they will be further distributed. Pilots are encouraged to bring supplies with them. Pilots operating out of KJQF will receive a 75 cent per gallon discount on fuel purchased from the FBO.

At this time, Operation Airdrop is accepting the following items for disbursement:

• Sports drinks (powdered packets)
• Hydration packs (powder form)
• Baby wipes
• Diapers (children and adults)
• Baby formula
• Bug spray
• Sunscreen
• Plastic utensils
• Manual can openers
• Trash bags (13 gallon or contractor bags)
• Nonperishable foods
• Cleaning supplies
• Plastic sheeting/tarps
• Toothbrushes
• Toothpaste
• Toiletries/sanitation items
• Pet food (dog and cat)
• Hand sanitizer
• Sanitizer wipes
• Feminine hygiene products
• Heavy duty work gloves
• Socks (all sizes, unopened)

The organization cannot accept donations of water due to the weight or hazardous substances including fuel, flammable items, used clothing, or bleach.

Operation Airdrop notes that volunteers are essential to the mission as they are needed for organizing, unloading, sorting, and loading supplies.

Relief operations are expected to last throughout the week. 

Meanwhile in south Georgia, the community of Valdosta and Wings of Rescue are asking for help to move dogs and cats from the city’s animal shelters prior to the storm to safety. Many of the animals were placed in the shelters by their owners who were facing flooding. 

Ryan Spellman, Director of Operations at Airdrop, Discusses Helene Efforts: 

The post National Guard Deploys Air Assets in North Carolina Helene Response appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

I wasn’t one that always knew I wanted to fly. I actually didn’t think of that as an option at all. It just never even came into my mind as a thing. I was enlisted first, in college with the Georgia Air National Guard. I wanted to become an officer once I graduated college. I wanted to travel more because my position in maintenance was not giving me the opportunity to travel as much as I wanted to, and that was one of the main reasons I joined the military. I also wanted to stay with the Savannah unit because I enjoyed the Savannah area and the unit itself. 

There were only two options with that unit—either pilot or navigator.

One of my sergeants at the time said, “Hey, let’s go see what it takes to be a pilot,” and I thought she was crazy. She took me to the commander at the time. The process for becoming a pilot is pretty similar to any officer position, at least in my unit. It’s pretty similar [to] most other units. You fill out applications. There is an Air Force Qualification Test that you have to take and there’s a [Pilot Candidate Selection Method] PCSM test that you have to take. It’s basically like a video game to overly saturate you with a lot of tasks at one time to see if you can multitask. Then, you know, transcripts, resumes, letters of recommendation, all the other things that you have to have for any job, really, and any officer performance report (OPR) reviews.

Our unit wanted people to have private pilot licenses. It’s not a requirement, but it’s suggested. They do that because they want to make sure that you know that you want to be a pilot, that you’ve actually tried flying and you’d like it, which makes sense.

At the time of me speaking with my commander, I had no experience flying at all. But afterwards, that’s what I went to do. I was like, “Okay, I’ll go to a nearby school. And I’ll see what it’s like and see if I like it.”

I did what they call a discovery flight. That’s about 45 minutes at a local school in Ridgeland, South Carolina, called Atmosphere Aviation. They took me up and let me control the plane a little bit, and flew me over the marshes toward Hilton Head. I fell in love with it. I said, “This is amazing. This is awesome. Let’s do it.” That’s how I got the itch. 

In 2015, I started working on my private pilot’s license and building my package to apply for the next board. And the next board was actually happening on my first deployment. I actually did my interview over the phone in the base library in the little phone booth. And I did not get the slot that year. I was put in as a backup, so in the case that someone else didn’t make it through or something happened, then I would be pushed through the line to hopefully get in. It took a few more years before that happened.

• MORE FLYING FOR THE COLORS: ‘Thunderstorm of the Worst Case’

In 2017, I finally got called up. I went to [Officer Training School] OTS in 2017, graduated [Undergraduate Pilot Training] UPT at Columbus Air Force Base in April of 2019, and finished all of my other training for the C-130 and returned to Savannah in February 2020.

If I’m being honest, there were plenty of times that I honestly wanted to quit [UPT], I wanted to go home, tuck my tail, you know, and, and take the shame. But I had so many people in my corner. It was almost like a Catch 22 sometimes. I had all these people who were rooting for me, so there was pressure. At the same time, I had all those people rooting for me, who were there holding me up. I have my faith, and that really helped push me through. 

For one, I was the oldest person in my class. I was the only Black person in my class. And I was one of three females. Because I had been in the military the longest, they made me class leader. I had to relearn how to learn again, because I’ve been out of college for eight years at the time. So studying at a fast pace, and things like that, taking tests all the time and being evaluated every moment—that was not new, but it was definitely brought back with a fire hose. 

It didn’t come naturally to me. I’m an athletic person. I catch on to things really fast. I’m a quick learner, and so most things I can just pick up. Being that I wasn’t able to do that as fast as I wanted to, that hit my pride a little bit. It’s not easy to fail, you know? There were times that I felt like I was failing and it was a very hard pill to swallow because I had a lot of people who were pushing me through and backing me up.

There were people telling me, “Hey, you may say and think that you’re failing, but did they send you home yet? No, they didn’t. Well then, obviously you’re doing something right.” 

I even called my maintenance commander back home and told him “Hey, before they call you, I wanted to call you and let you know that I don’t think I’m gonna make it. You know, I want to be the first to tell you that I let you down.” He was a pilot before and he talked me through the pattern, which is what we fly around the airport before we land. He talked me through the procedures and said, “Sounds like you got it. You just have to have the confidence.” 

That’s what I was really lacking, my confidence that I belonged there. 

• MORE FLYING FOR THE COLORS: Trust is the Cornerstone for This Alaska Air Rescue Team

There was nothing about me that was similar to anyone else in my class. When it came to age or the fact that I hadn’t always wanted this, the fact that somebody in my family was a pilot before. I wasn’t an Academy graduate or ROTC graduate. There was a lot of me putting myself down before I gave them the chance to put me down. Those people in my corner, they were really the ones who got me through. So I pretty much vowed to myself that the only way I would go home was if they sent me home, whether it was at graduation, or I failed. Either way, it wasn’t on me. I gave it my all and I tried. 

And I graduated.

As an African-American female pilot, I am one of two in the Georgia Air National Guard. It’s kind of a big deal, and I didn’t realize how big of a deal it was until it happened. You know, when I got back, I was the first for our unit. Our unit only has two African-American pilots, period, including myself and my commander. So we are the first. He’s the first African-American [pilot] ever, and then I’m the first African-American female. And we’re the “onlies.” And there was a 17-year gap from him getting hired, to me being hired. 

It was kind of a really big deal when I got back [from UPT] and the first thing he said to me was, “I’ve been waiting for you for 17 years.” That hit.

And then immediately, you know, after that, lots of other African-Americans that were enlisted in our unit that knew me when I was enlisted, the look in their eyes, of like, “We’re proud of you. This is a win for all of us,” kind of thing. 

I love the C-130. Working on it and knowing the mission and the capabilities that we have. It’s so versatile. It’s a crew plane, so I get to fly with other people. I’m not just by myself. We deploy in good and bad places, not just bad, not always fighting. Sometimes I’m helping and saving. We get to fly low levels, which basically we fly like 300 feet above the ground over rivers and in between mountains. It’s a really cool way to see the world. 

I really love the aircraft itself and the mission that’s attached to it. Also, it’s a good transition plane if I ever decide to go to the airlines or cargo. I’m not interested in them as of yet, but I do have that option. 

My first flight [in the C-130 after UPT] was with the commander, the other African-American pilot. It was a Friday flight. We really didn’t do much, we just went over to Hunter [Army Airfield] and what we call “beat up the pattern” where we do a bunch of pattern work, such as a bunch of touch-and-goes. It was just really cool to finally be flying the planes that I used to fix, in my city and with my crew. It was awesome.

Know someone we should profile in a future edition of ‘Flying for the Colors’? Tell us about them!

The post Tenacity Helped This C-130 Pilot Earn Her Wings appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

“The Illinois National Guard was selected to do this testing for the entire Army,” Chief Warrant Officer 5 Herb Stevens, the Illinois National Guard’s Army Aviation Support Facility #2 commander, said in a statement. “We’re the only operational unit in the Army that has these aircraft right now.”

The Black Hawks will be assigned to the 106th Aviation Regiment and undergo testing at two upcoming events to “help determine if this aircraft is adequate for the rest of the Army,” he said.

Upgrades included in the UH-60V Black Hawk, called the “Victor,” include:

• A digital glass cockpit
• A certified GPS RNAV [area navigation] database
• Advanced flight planning and mission capability

“We’ve upgraded from analog to digital technology. The UH-60V gives us a moving map on board for situational awareness. It has been a needed upgrade for a while, and this is the latest and greatest,” Stevens said. “This allows us to do different instrument approaches in a digital environment that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is moving to.”

The new variant will allow for enhanced situational awareness, according to the Army. One enhanced capability of the UH-60V not available in older UH-60A and UH-60L models is a “time-ahead, time-behind” feature that allows the calculations of arrival times based upon aircraft speed and distance.

“You can actually see every leg of your flight and how long it’s going to take you to get there by airspeed,” Chief Warrant Officer 4 Frank Madeira, an instructor pilot, said last year. “The time-ahead, time-behind is phenomenal. It lets you know, ‘You’re 30 seconds behind. Speed it up.’”

The digital upgrade is a big one for the Guard, he added. “Now everything is displayed on the screens. There’s no what they call steam gauges or regular gauges like you have in your car. It’s all digital information that’s being pushed on the screen for you to look at, and they can move it to where they need it to be on the screen.”

• READ MORE: A UH-60A Black Hawk Just Flew With No Pilot On Board

Last October, four pilots from the Illinois Army National Guard became the first to graduate from UH-60V training, and were then tasked with training other pilots in their unit to participate in the initial operational testing and evaluation, the Army said.

Nearly 60 aviators are needed to train to fly the UH-60V, according to Illinois Army National Guard’s state aviation officer Lt. Col. Jason Celletti. Training includes a six-week course qualifying in the UH-60M variant, followed by two weeks training for qualification on the Victor model.

According to the National Guard, the Illinois Army National Guard currently has more than 30 pilots who have qualified on the UH-60M and about 15 fully qualified UH-60V pilots.

The post Illinois Army National Guard To Test UH-60V Black Hawks appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

No serious injuries were reported during the incident, military officials said.

The incident occurred around 9:25 a.m. near Snowbird Ski Resort in the Mineral Basin area Tuesday morning when downwash from helicopter blades churned up a cloud of fresh snow, obscuring visibility, according to a military spokesperson.

“As they landed, the snow kicked up and the aircraft probably lost sight of the ground,” Chief Warrant Officer 5 Jared Jones, aviation public affairs officer for Utah Army National Guard, said during a press conference.

The Black Hawk crews were conducting regular winter training when they attempted to make the landing about 150 yards away from the resort area at the approved site, which Jones described as large and fairly level.

“We know that there were portions of the [main] rotor blade that separated from the helicopter and struck the second helicopter,” which then landed quickly, Jones said. 

No fuel leaked during the incident, he said, and the crew was able to walk away from the accident site, and take a resort tram down the mountain to seek medical attention.

“It was a blessing that everyone was OK,” Jones said.

Here is a video of the Blackhawks crashing while we were riding down Mineral Basin around 9:30 am. Military buddy I was riding with recognized the Hawks coming in to land. So far sounds like everyone was ok from what we’ve heard. Thankfully! Video cred: Tom Carney #snowbird pic.twitter.com/JKTAqndqdE

— Cory Inman (@IM_Inman) February 22, 2022

One witness told The Salt Lake Tribune that he saw people “within feet” of the accident site. “It was close; it was a pretty scary event,” he told the newspaper.

The accident is rare for the National Guard flight crews, Jones said.

The unit routinely conducts summer and winter mountainous training that involves dust and snow conditions, including full white-out conditions, he said.

“Snow at this time of year is very common and usually celebrated,” Jones said. “The crew trains to land in snowy conditions,” or ice, he said. “It’s a normal thing.”

Immediately after the incident, Army National Guard maintenance test pilots assessed the damage and following an investigation, the aircraft will be removed as soon as possible, he said.

“In combat, there are places that you have to land sometimes that are that difficult,” he said.

“We are grateful that no one was seriously injured thanks to the quick reaction and training of both command pilots,” Maj. Matthew Green, commander, 2nd GSAB said, KUTV reported. “Right now, our top priority is taking care of both crews.”

The post Two Utah National Guard Black Hawks Involved In Training Accident appeared first on FLYING Magazine.