Operation Airdrop seeks volunteer pilots to help deliver supplies to western N.C.

[@QueenCityNews]

Maycay Beeler explains how aviation is playing a huge role in the relief efforts for those impacted by Helene. www.qcnews.com/news/u-s/north-carolina/cabarrus-county/concord/operation-airdrop-seeks-volunteer-pilots-to-help-deliver-supplies-to-western-n-c/

[@OUTDOORS55]

Meanwhile fire chief of Lake Lure NC Dustin Waycaster is threatening the arrest of pilots who are there to help.

[@Roxie174]

Did anyone rescue that poor elderly man that was forced to stay and was separated from his wife? I have not heard any update.

[@supervisor404atlanta3]

Ego is what that is all about. He didn't want the chopper pilot to make him look small, but oh how it did anyway, and then look at this collaborated effort where this Fire Chief helped to plan, orchestrate, and facilitate. Who is the true leader in this? I'm willing to bet Dustin Waycaster is probably in one of the Diddy "Freak-off" videos....

[@Roxie174]

@@OUTDOORS55 He was rescued! Hallelujah

[@TerraMagnus]

@@Roxie174they are reunited now

[@rnawireman9847]

It's not about ego, it's about FEMA orders, using FEMA "preferred vendor" goods and supply chain, etc. As Reagan famously quipped, "The most terrifying words in the English language: 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.' It's criminal.

[@darylb5564]

The guard can bring in supplies about 50 tons at a time. For these guys to bring that much weight in tiny little planes is a monumental effort. Amazing!

[@my2cents945]

The little birds are necessary because some landing zones are far to small for national guard helos.

[@country1964girl]

These people are heroes!

[@alive-25]

Cleetus McFarland rescued all day in his private helicopter He has a you tube channel if you want to see

[@beckyumphrey2626]

With his beautiful wife helping. Amazing couple!!

[@alive-25]

thank you for reporting on this

[@cayminlast]

In my experience the local friends, neighbors and out of state volunteers (NGOs) do more and way sooner than any of the government agencies, in fact the authorities only hamper and intimidate citizen volunteers just helping out of kindness and concern. After Hurricane Wilma, which took half our roof off, the Red Cross showed up a week later and the national guard came along three days later, so almost two weeks of helping each other out, help finaly arrived, it took six weeks to get power back, they had to rebuild the grid in our area.

[@benjaminbowers421]

Oh God, don’t let the fire chief find out

[@BigBushFarms]

So the president is gonna come on a press tour and delay critical supplies to people in need. How thoughtful of him

[@jim_secrist]

thats not true. he have helped. before and after the storm. you have no idea how bad it is here its a logistical nightmare they are trying to find ways rn to get all the help they need

[@Wedge-Antilles]

@@jim_secrist he is hindering the people that are helping. he should cancel the trip.

[@jim_secrist]

no hes not im here and thats not true. you know nothing thats going on here

[@BigBushFarms]

@@jim_secrist they literally just said it in the video. Are you deaf?

[@jim_secrist]

@@BigBushFarms the help is still going to be there do you live in the area?? no so shut up. your acting like its going to be shut down completely. well its not. theres other areas that will be taking over so nothing critical will be delayed

[@WarrenPostma]

Unless that aviation help comes as a Helicopter Pilot who is told to FO or get arrested? If the story is that the private pilots are getting in the way of the National Guard, then we need that story told too.

[@prussiaaero1802]

Wait - what? The President comes for a tour, and THE OPERATION IS SHUT DOWN?? DISGUSTING. F them, keep flying peeps.

[@Wedge-Antilles]

Tell the president to cancel the trip. he is a problem.

[@jim_secrist]

hes not the problem the help isnt stopping the operation is big to other locations the ones that are helping is being diverted to another location my buddy is a pilot he told me this.

[@deanfirnatine7814]

@@jim_secrist He has said we have no more aid to give just yesterday. I have been a first responder as well as in Emergency Management for over fifteen years and I have never seen a major disaster with so little Federal assistance, almost everything is at the state, local or private level.

[@jim_secrist]

@@deanfirnatine7814 thats not true. biden gave alot of aid to prep for the hurricane hes talked to the governess and helped. everything dosent happen in a snap of a finger

[@jameseverly8501]

why dont you alll just shut up about the president going there and put your money where your mouth is or what ever that saying is

[@marvindebot3264]

@@jameseverly8501 People have been saying "where is the President?" now the same ones will be complaining that he's there. Can't win either way.

[@treadlightly6427]

God bless these volunteers, this is what we Americans do, help each other! We the people should stand together and not allow the president to fly that area, there is work to be done and his little sightseeing tour of destruction can wait!!! What a joke!

[@Badge-vo7hq]

Let’s go Brandon halt the flow of supplies

[@jonesy4588]

they will continue until the fire dept. finds out and shuts them down

[@garybancroft4976]

Be careful..youll be threatened with being arrested!

[@igotsome4526]

The saddest part about all this is that the whole time I was helping deliver supplies nearly every house I passed had a harris walz sign out front. We still helped them anyway but theyre all gonna screw NC and the US in the next election.

[@vikingrc6959]

Why are you bringing politics into this ?

[@weathervanerc8147]

So they have to shut down for a day so our POS president can take a helicopter ride and tour the area. Unbeleavable.

[@alive-25]

they should wait on that or do it in a less showy way. Just go without the show .

[@ziggystardink9389]

But if he doesn't show up he "does not care and wants people dead". Dammed if you do dammed if you dont.

[@Skywarriorguru]

Great job Ted Howard

[@russoley8995]

Oh but I am sure people would much rather see Joe who won't even know were he is , than get supplies

[@luv2luv720]

Strange in South Carolina the locals are threatening arrest for helping victims with their helicopters!

[@dsloop3907]

That was one assshole firechief...............

[@deanfirnatine7814]

No it was Lake Lure North Carolina, not South Carolina, and it was the Lake Lure Fire Chief with the back up of a couple of foolish deputies, they should all lose their jobs.

[@whit10mm72]

Absolutely should

[@zesolodar]

@@whit10mm72 should what get arrested? the guy who was threatened to be arrested had 1400 flight hours and was an ex law enforcement officer, and ex firefighter. guy had more flight hours than any pilot lake lure nc or any small town wc gov organization has to their names

[@whit10mm72]

No, I am on the pilots side.

[@JJE2010MO]

LOL - Every day people have never owned planes or helicopters. Besides that this is amazing! Bravo to everyone helping out.

[@MuzixMaker]

You’re clueless

[@JJE2010MO]

@@MuzixMaker Owning a chopper 324K - 3 million, License cost 15-25k, maintainer cost 4-6k a year, fuel $5.54 - $8.30 a gallon. This is a rich person hobby.

[@MuzixMaker]

@@JJE2010MO maybe helicopters but single fixed wing is achievable by middle/ upper middle income people. I’m one of them. Also no one is paying $8.00/gal unless they’re idiots.

[@BlueSparrow13]

@@MuzixMaker as a mechanic the cheapest plane is going to cost you ~10k a year to fly regularly. Maintenance ain’t cheap defiantly need to be very well off the fly and agian that’s after your purchase of the $200k-$3mill aircraft, and 20k+ 6 months worth of training

[@MuzixMaker]

@@BlueSparrow13 most owners don’t have 200k plus airplanes. Annual costs are all over the place and depend on where you’re based. How much do people spend on their boats or other toys? Cruises? Four big vacations a year? Skiing? Eating out five times a week?

[@Patty-qy8qh]

Oh yeah I think what people currently need the most is all the air rescue operation being shut down for a visit of the president. That's a real big brain move...

[@mikhail5457]

President Biden (if that’s what you want to call him), can stay in his basement in Delaware and eat his ice cream.

[@jameseverly8501]

why dont you alll just shut up about the president going there and put your money where your mouth is or what ever that saying is

[@TerraMagnus]

Are the grumpy Michigan firefighters going to threaten to arrest these pilots, too?

[@dsloop3907]

The C5A can carry a LOT of weight... Load them up with food and medical supplies.

[@jameseverly8501]

and what the F#### do you think they are doing

[@marvindebot3264]

Um, a c17 has flown in twice to Ashville with 100s of tons of supplies. Yo can't fit a C5 into these airports.

[@beckyumphrey2626]

The last C5-A retired 5 years ago. We now have 48 C5-M aircraft.remaining and the are broke 55% of the time.

[@dsloop3907]

@@beckyumphrey2626 Did not know that. I was in Charleston S C when the first C5 A's flew into the Naval Base. How does something that big fly?

[@thatairplaneguy]

It can but the runways can’t take the weight of the C5.

[@andysmart-oy5fi]

Again Joe in the way of progress, stay in your crib old man

[@marvindebot3264]

Thank you for explaining to people that you can't stuff an airplane full of cargo and take off, it's more complicated than that.

[@ThatOneGuyWithTheEye]

You can. Just manage the weight. It's easy af

[@MrChiangching]

WTF is the National Guard?

[@akkseljohansson3601]

I ˋd hop on a plane anytime, but unfortunately I’m „only“ a EASA commercial pilot and FAA doesn’t accept our licenses.

[@thatairplaneguy]

No one is checking licenses. Come on down

[@Muhjoc]

So Biden decided he wanted to fly over this while he slept to take a few pics and shut down the only means of help we had. The government response has been a joke, but please lets send more money overseas. WE HAVE BODIES FLOATING IN THE RIVERS AND HANGING FROM TREES! WE NEED HELP HERE!

[@scottcoley1906]

@CAFMediaTV thought you guys may be interested in this.

[@my2cents945]

Really? these people are desperate and they're going to be shutdown for a dog and pony show? That's disgraceful.

[@ThatOneGuyWithTheEye]

Bet they would have more if the didn't threaten to arrest the first ones. Nobody should volunteer, the citizens should form their own groups.

[@woxnerw]

Try to keep Biden out of the Airlift areas, so as to not interrupt this Private AIR SERVICE.. Why does the Government(s) always want to interfere with Relief Programs that are working ?

[@Tiax776]

Stop helping people in North Carolina, help the people in other states instead. In North Carolina, if you try to help, you just get arrested. They have made their choice. The fire departments and the police said they don't need any help and they are above anyone else.

[@tonyc223]

Pres.Biden ? Thought he retired.

[@50pinkies67]

NC Air National Guard is already working. What are you on?

[@Wedge-Antilles]

Vote Trump

[@jim_secrist]

yes sir

[@jameseverly8501]

why dont you alll just shut up about the president going there and put your money where your mouth is or what ever that saying is

[@marvindebot3264]

I don't see him there, either.

[@MuzixMaker]

@@jameseverly8501 what are you babbling about?

[@thatairplaneguy]

@@jameseverly8501we are. What are you doing? Eating 💩?

[@dontask8979]

So they can be threated with arrest too?

[@prussiaaero1802]

One guy's video on youtube, can't recall who - he picked up a lady and took her to safety in his own helicopter, and was threatened on the spot with arrest by some dumbass cop or whoever if he flew back to get her husband. Yes it happened. He left the area, disgusted.