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Atlanta area pilots staging supply runs to North Carolina in wake of Helene | How you can help

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Published  October 1, 2024 7:37pm EDT
Peachtree City
FOX 5 Atlanta

Peachtree City pilots helping hurricane victims

Local pilots are staging their own airlift of emergency relief supplies to the areas of North Carolina hit hardest by Hurricane Helene. Donations are pouring in at Atlanta Regional Airport in Peachtree City.

In brief:

    • Metro Atlanta pilots airlift emergency supplies to Hurricane Helene victims in North Carolina.
    • Falcon RV Squadron, including veteran pilots, coordinate with Cajun Navy for supply distribution.
    • Essential donations needed: child care items, ready-to-eat food, and hygiene products; avoid bottled water and hazardous materials.
    • Vintage WWII aircraft repurposed for relief flights by local pilots.
    • Community support grows; donations and volunteers welcomed at Atlanta Regional Airport.

PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. - Pilots from the metro Atlanta area are conducting an airlift of emergency relief supplies to communities in North Carolina affected by the devastation of Hurricane Helene.

Donations are flowing into the Atlanta Regional Airport in Peachtree City, where they are being loaded onto small aircraft owned by local pilots. The planes are bound for Asheville and Hickory, North Carolina, areas hard hit by the storm.

"You love to go flying. You have the resources to go do it. Helping people out is just an easy way to try to give back to the community that you are a part of," said Ryan Thomas, a local pilot participating in the effort.

One of the volunteers, John Hess from Fayetteville, flew with his son in a vintage aircraft to assist in the relief mission. "We’re flying a 1941 Beech AT-11, a bombardier trainer during World War II. Now, we’re hoping to help out and relocate some supplies up to Asheville for the needy victims up there," Hess explained.

The airlift is being coordinated by the Falcon RV Squadron, based in Peachtree City. Many of the pilots involved are current or retired airline and military personnel. The operation is being conducted in conjunction with the Cajun Navy, a well-known volunteer disaster relief organization from Louisiana.

"They are then distributing, I am told, the supplies to whatever agencies can get them to the people. So, they’ve got helicopters, boats, 4-wheelers, I understand, up there," said John Poulter of the Falcon RV Squadron.

Word of the relief effort is spreading, with many families making it a learning experience for their children. Among the most requested items are supplies for children, including diapers, wipes, and ready-to-eat food.

Donations can be dropped off at the Bloom Closet on State Road 54 in Fayetteville.

Needed Donations:

  • Ready-to-eat food
  • Feminine products
  • Disposable diapers and wipes
  • Pet food
  • Toilet paper and paper towels

Items Not to Donate:

  • Bottled water (too heavy and provided by other agencies)
  • Cleaning supplies (hazardous and can’t be transported)
  • Food that requires cooking (lack of meal preparation facilities)

This article has been edited to reflect that donations are no longer being accepted at the terminal building at the Atlanta Regional Airport.