Inside the grassroots efforts to fly supplies into NC's disaster zones and get people out
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ต.ค. 2024
- Throughout the day Monday, constant helicopter sounds permeated Hickory Regional Airport. For countless people trapped in the destruction left behind by Helene, it is the sounds of solace and help on the way.
Matt McSwain, a pilot from Mount Holly, is among those volunteering with the aerial rescue missions in Western North Carolina, a largely grassroots effort under the umbrella of relief organization Operation Airdrop.
“We just organized a private helicopter army to go in and survey the damage, extract people and take supplies in, and create landing zones for people to have supply routes in and out," McSwain said. "We've had 37 helicopters to date. Volunteers: We've had people from Texas to Maine, all along the East Coast just show up and say, 'How do we help?'"
For those drawing parallels to the "Cajun Navy," which emerged to help amid the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, McSwain has his own light-hearted take on the work underway right now in North Carolina.
READ MORE: www.wcnc.com/a...
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The Lake Lure Fire Chief stopped, and threatened with arrest, a volunteer who was using his own helicopter to rescue storm victims.
In an area he was told to not go because of danger.
@@KulliokingBullshyte! Don't swallow everything you're told.
Since when does a fire chief have police powers to make an arrest?????
Because that guy wasn’t operating with an organization to handle logistics. If everyone with a chopper was just doing their own thing, the potential for causing another emergency and needlessly putting more lives at risk is greatly increased. What they’re doing is already incredibly dangerous, they have to mitigate any risk they possibly can. He did get with this organization and was good to go.
@@nealbeach4947 uh, yeah, it did. th-cam.com/video/si9kPy7IffU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=kBBex7M3ARCvjcSD
their was nascar driver Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and Racer and youtuber Cleetus McFarland and 30 other helis flying all day sunday and monday! cleetus has video up on his youtube
@littlemuffin943. Biffle had Cleetus and his wife stay at his home for two nights. Good people making a difference. God Bless them!!
Hell yeah, Brother!!!!
You may want to check the flight records for Cleetus' helicopter. Not to diminish any grassroots efforts, but was he really there?
@@superman60201 Are you serious dude?? Take another toke, you haven't had enough yet!
@@superman60201yeah he was dumbo look up his last video of him and his wife what they did on Saturday and Sunday.
Operation airdrop has saved so many lives. Thank God for Garrett Mitchell, Greg biffle and all the others up there doing what they can to make a change in these people that are abandoneds lives.
Don’t forget Cleetus McFarland (Garret). He has a video on his channel.
@@ChrisPBacon-yz6nkthat’s who Garrett Mitchell is lmao
@@goodolef1009 I didn’t even see his name in there. All I saw was Greg Biffle. 😂😂😂
I’m blind.
Thank you Greg Bifle and cleetus McFarland and all pilots that showed up.
HELL YEAH BROTHER!
🇺🇸💯
Do it for Dale! 🇺🇸 🦅
Fire chief should be told he WILL be held accountable for any deaths occurring to the delay In receving help. And boy, when the surviviors find out about his actions, he is going to be vilified.
THANK YOU TO THE NASCAR TEAMS WHO ARE USING THEIR HELICOPTERS TO BRING IN MUCH NEEDED SUPPLIES
Cleetus McFarland was up there with Greg Biffle flying Consuela on missions
Edit. Changed Is to Was
@@FauxQue-yk8dthe's home, did two days, which is awesome! I'm sure the local guys are down for the long haul.
@@FauxQue-yk8dt Yeah he was!! Awesome guys no doubt
Our own Federal Govt should be ashamed!!!! God Bless Operation Air Drop and all those helping out!
Really wish these efforts were getting more national attention. Thanks for publishing this.
In one NC town the Fire Chief threatened the helo pilot with arrest. He rescued 5 and the police were sent to arrest him.
Fire Chief Big Head said he was 'messing up his scene'. Wow, just wow. Then the chielf CLOSED the airspace.!!!!!!!
wth....NC
These disasters are really exposing a few things aren't they...
Instead of reading a nextdoor post and firing up the rusty crop duster, the cowboy vroooom vrooom pilot should gave taken directions and cooperated like these folks. The good intentions of a fool.
Lake lure fire chief and pilot was from pageland SC!!
I just saw that video
@@nwaelder”good intentions of a fool,”huh? 1500+ hours of flight experience and a pretty solid looking R-44 volunteers to do what the government wasn’t able to do?
Tell me-how do the boots you’re licking taste?
Look into the Lake Lure fire chief or assistant chief stopping samaritan missions. He needs to be fully exposed and immediately removed from his position.
Amen brother, that Barney fife needs to be removed!
I'm sure we will get answers on this after the dust settles. A report that I watched mentioned the pilot had around 1400 hours which is way more than enough time for him to have attempted and completed training for his commercial rating. But if he was one of the guys who stopped at the private level and never pursued commercial, then there are restrictions on what private pilots can do in situations like this. Generally they are only allowed to search and locate- not rescue. This is due to the increased risk off-airport landings present combined with potentially frantic and/or injured people who aren't familiar with being around or riding in helicopters. A lot can go wrong and professional rescuers are more able to deal with the variables. Even then search and locate efforts are to be coordinated with the emergency agency in charge of the area. I don't want to speculate on the pilots exact situation, but that may be a reason given as to why he was asked to leave. The arrest threats were definitely a bad look. The pilot had the best intentions for sure.
he was named on the page of another video, hes now gonna have to leave town and likely sell his house, cant live there any more im thinking
but the pilot was on the same frequencies as the rescue teams???
@@jfeeble thank you for taking the time to offer a level headed explanation. 👍
One of the pilots helping was a big TH-camr Cletus McFarland. Some of the footage is crazy.
He’s not inviting you to hang out with him. Stop glazing
@@Jsailor1210 jealousy is a bad look 😂
My fuel donation is on behalf of Garrett/Cletus Freedom Factory.
@@Jsailor1210 I wasn’t asking for anything. Was just pointing out that he was. What a moronic comment by you.
@@Jsailor1210 grow up.
Blessings to the Cajun Airforce
It’s not just the Cajuns flying
We are American. Everyone pitching in.
TOO BAD THEIR BEING SHUT DOWN BY THE LOCAL OFFICALS THAT WANT THE RECOGNITION
NOT TRUE!!!!! I've seen it personally and no, almost all fed/state/local agencies are working seamlessly to partner with regular people to help. This is click bait. I've been involved for years in emergency response and what is happening in NC - I've never seen such partnerships.
@@annabodot962 He is talking about the incident in NC where the fire chief shut someone attempting to help.
@@concernedcitizen2031 Lake Lure Fire Dept
@@annabodot962 what about lake lure fire dept?
@@ctfinneman There was a story of a Helicopter pilot helping to evacuate a couple that was stranded. Some official that has yet to be named, threated the pilot with arrest if he didn't leave right away, for "interfering with his operation".
That was an amazing effort by volunteers from all over to assist people in need. I watched Garrett and Maddie Mitchell from Florida in their helicopter (Consuela) delivering supplies of water and insulin to folks in need. They even transported a person with an infant at one point. All of these volunteers are wonderful coming together to help their fellow citizens. 👍👍
Yes Rick. I follow his channel also. Good people doing good things.
Also Garrett is a good sport. New upholstery in the Bell and new everything. Now not so new. Bless them.
Hell yeah brother! Cleetus is a real one for this.
Thank you Cleetus, Consuela, and all the other pilots efforts to help the community
People keep voting for bigger government. Then when a catastrophe like this happens, big government steps in the way of private citizens, taking care of each other. This is mind-boggling.
The local fire chief is not 'big government'.
@@Jessev741 no sir, big govt attitude trickles right down to local officials. You see it everywhere. In a situation like this Get all govt out of the way and let humans do what humans do….help people..
@@JD2CYLINDERNUT this is most definitely a state/city/county issue, federal OSHA has no jurisdiction over F.D. precincts
Big Government isn't doing anything to help.
Think about this, there are 4 MAJOR Miltiary Installations within 600 miles of the affected area, yet the Biden Harris Administration won't send them, but they'll send those same military personel to other countries to help those coutries build their infrastructure, but won't send them to rebuild ours. There were 37 PRIVATE aircraft flying there on day 2, but only a handful of military aircraft that TRAIN to do exactly this.
But we can fly 122,000 Afghan refugees and over 400,000 illegals TO the US. But can't move aircraft and personel and equipment 600 miles to help Americans.
But Biden says there's no money, but he just sent another $8 BILLION to Ukraine and $587 MILLION to Taiwan in the last 7 days.....
Is anyone paying attnetion?????
A guy and his son tried to to help but were stopped by a lake lure fire chief call them to help without trying to arrest them that fire chief should be fired after all of this is over with
The Lake lure Fire Chief needs his head examined & he need to lose his job for threatening private pilots with arrest .
How many people lost help because of him ?
The father and son pilot got order out by the fire chief! Why what for!
Cause the Chief is from a nowhere fire dept now he feels like he is MR big man....little punk with little man syndrome
Yep so many??
Lake lure fire chief. Make him famous.
@jamesdaves3363 ...my thoughts exactly
The Fire chief must be a Democrat. 😡🇺🇸🦅
we are the calvary , we are the boy with the fish and loaves , we are the good samartians, we are the the hands and and legs of GOD. bless this people. HELP US GOD , bless the ones helping .
Amen❤
Quick question for you;
Did god intentionally send this hurricane to cause destruction?
Or
Did god simply stand back and do nothing to prevent the hurricane from causing destruction?
Why is the fire chief of lake lure threatening pilots with arrests?
The fire chief seems like a fuckin nutcase.
His name is Dustin Waycaster, and it’s because he was on a power trip and needs to be removed from his position.
@@Evan_600 this is the 3rd name ive seen about this person. Im not sure what the guys name really is
@@warrenmichael918 Dustin Waycaster is the fire chief. Chris Melton is the assistant chief. Apparently it was Chris Melton who actually turned the guy away, they made that clear in the second video in which the news station interviewed the mayor of Lake Lure. If you need to you can go to google and type “lake lure fire chief” and it will give you both of their names. My apologies to Mr. Waycaster for incorrectly naming him as the one having the power trip. Apparently it was Chris Melton.
@@warrenmichael918 There's a fire chief and an assistant fire chief. Both are doing this I believe.
That's odd. The Police and fire Chief at Lake Lure are arresting anyone that helps. Our S&R Blackhawk was told to stop rescuing people or face arrest. The police and fire department doesn't want anyone to make them look bad. Real Search and Rescue doesn't need an LZ. They also refused our communications help. It appears they don't want experienced, competent operators that know what they're doing to help at all. So if you were stuck without food and water for days, thank your local government.
And remember that at the ballot box.
Yall got hoists on that hawk?
The police were not going along with the fire chief’s order. The police hooked him up (helicopter pilot) with the proper channels to coordinate rescue, but the fire CHIEF decided to pull a dick move.
So, it was more than the guy with the R44? The guy is on a power trip, how the hell does an ast fire chief declare a no-fly zone anyway?
Look at you kids making things up
The fire chief no longer want out of state help! If not how can anyone stop
if civillians help themselves there is no money for the corrupt govt lackees.
You can do an internet search for Lake Lure fire chief and you can find name and email. How else will mountain victims get help?
*Assistant chief.
Chris Melton
Americans helping Americans, doing what the government should be doing.
Use the time during this disaster to Identify everyone standing in the way and make them UNEMPLOYED.
Amen on that. Remember their name and call them out. Hold them accountable.
To fly is heavenly to hover divine, rotary wing aviation there is simply no substitute. Whether it's the Cajun or Red Neck Air Force, or the NCNG all are providing much needed services. FLY NAVY!!!
Where’s FEMA, National Guard, Govt…. Help our own people first!
TN natl. guard deployed to Kuwait - reasons unknown. FEMA serves to back local fire chiefs in preventing entry to save lives. Carry forward search/rescue without regard. Barriers to be neutralized with appropriate response without regard. Carry forward/air bands open. BOLO NC is repository central for lithium/oil as are other areas for situational optic.
Thank you heros ❤
Yesterday it was a no fly zone using private air craft prohibited if it was continued you could be arrested families got separated some removed some had to stay great job thanks but what changed was the fire chief canned for such a stupid act ??
That was NOT true in Statesville NC. It's a tiny airport with no tower and has been actively used as a place for private aircraft to land, load up with donations dropped there, taking off and delivering their payload. I flew out there today (recognized SAR org) and we got fuel there before heading out to do grid searches. Dozens of private small planes landing, loading, taking off. Lines of cars dropping off supplies for them. That's been happening since Saturday and today is Tuesday. All volunteer citizens. All agencies cooperating with them. Total grassroots effort.
@@annabodot962 there is a report that a fire chief was threatening to have a private pilot arrested if he did not cease operations in the area.
@@mikehancho800that fire chief didn't have the authority or ability to do what he claimed he could do
HUGE THANK YOU ,TO ALL THESE HEROS ! 🇺🇸
This is the way we operate. When you see the crisis we run to it. Sometimes there’s no time to think, we just do what we are trained to do when there is an actual crises. I think all volunteers should get a stipend for the work they do in disaster services.
Hell hea BROTHA! glad cleet could test his heli and save people! Recommend giving him notice hes such a genuine guy
He says. "ordinary people coming together". WTF does that mean. heroes are all around us. We just can't see inside of them. Great job folks for doing what needs to be done for your fellow humans
Ask why they’ve all been stopped and why the FAA imposed a TFR because of a power drunk fire department
The power, compassion, and talent of the American people on full display, beautiful! This catastrophe is too big to manage for government. Let's remember that and celebrate grassroots efforts which utilize and strengthen community. Here in CT, we're hoping and praying that those who are stranded receive all the help they need and those who are assisting receive many blessings!
It was a big mistake for all of these departments to switch to Digital Radio. The range is horrible and they don't interoperate well. Back in the day of regular analog police and fire radio, everybody could talk to everybody.
Has the mental fire chief stopped threatening to have chopper pilots that volunteer arrested
Wonderful! it's gonna take citizens to get the job done. Prayers for all
Keep up the good work! Many thanks and prayers for these true Americans!❤❤
You guys are what Americans are all about.🙏🙏🙏💯💯💯
ASST FIRE CHIEF CHRIS MELTON don't know the head fire chiefs name but the asst is CHRIS MELTON
A fire chief shut down efforts by a retired leo and firefighter from South Carolina who took hilo up there. Placing a tfr....wtf
Just donated. GJ Airdrop guys!
They look better organized than the government at this stage.
Please keep helping! The government has very little presence and it’s basically just private citizens and nonprofits ! They need locations planes can land for airplanes in spruce pine, Bakersville, chimney rock, and Burnsville! PLEASE keep donating They are dying!
please head to black mountain i can hear the cry for help and im 5 hours away
Amazing people helping others humanity at its best
#helpothersandbekind
#helpnorthcarolina
Good on ya! Keep up the good work. Don't let any one shut you down.
Little difference between this event (other than mass causalities) and a massive snow storm, where private citizens that have Sno-Cats, other tracked vehicles and former military trucks on 54" tires going into neighborhoods to rescue people that require hospitalization or dialysis and the local fire and rescue doesn't have the man power or equipment.
The local hospitals would always plead for people with 4-wheel drive vehicles to pick up doctors and nurses to bring them into work. Government doesn't like to be shown to be lacking at best and inept a worse. The people that need help don't care who or how they got help, just they got help.
It’s a dangerous place to fly. I would expect lots of wires where they aren’t supposed to be, and some iffy landing zones. Having said that, these private aviators pitching in next to the police, EMS and National Guard are true American heroes. The chopper is the bass boat of NC.
Let’s go cleeter 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻
(And Madi)
Lake Lure Fire Chief literally threatened a private helicopter operator with being arrested if he did not STOP rescuing people, while ALSO not allowing him to go back to pick up the husband of the woman he had JUST DROPPED OFF.
Literally Ordering a person to LEAVE BEHIND a victim.
Please post link for donating to the air drop fuel fund you mentioned. To make sure we get the right and real, legit one.
You can go to their website. They are a non profit. Operation-airdrop. I donated last night. Fixed wing are flying donations out of Concord to Hickory and Stateville. Then delivered by helicopters.
Good work!
The state of NC, especially the small towns that everyone so confidently says “try it in” is & are hopelessly corrupt, it’s unfortunate that it takes an extreme disaster to wake so many people up.
Cajun navy is also there. Seen them posting starlink internet hotspots for communication so people can contact family an the emergency crew
They been seeing them up for the past few days already
awesome people working faster then govt. just amazing
God bless every one 🙏
I just heard a story of a couple in the Lake Lure area whom house went into the river and a Private Helicopter owner took his wife to help and was told that he was to discontinue helping the rescue and went back and told the husband he could not pick him up and he had to walk and finally found his wife..... There is nothing that is right about this.....
Thank you Ryan Hall Ya’ll, the best weather guy on TH-cam, He donated those starlink satellites she mentioned, his channel is the best for these weather storms.
As with the Cajun Navy, could this become the Appalachian Air Force? Excellent response to help out those in need!
This is what America is really about.
Just goes to show that private does it better and more efficiently than government.
I am a Ham Radio operator. I'm surprised I've not heard anything about Ham's kicking in to help. I know I would if I could.
They are helping out. Get on the radio and see if you can help relay
When i was a kid the government would help our own citizens.
way to go matt!!!!
we'd like to hear more on how the Lake Lure fire dept threatened to arrest one of the helicopter pilots for helping stranded victims
Hell yeah brother!!!
you know our boy Cleetus was out there ripping around in that BRAND NEW MD500
Shoutout to “Cleetus McFarland” for what I credit on first giving this major coverage.
Also, amazing to see him come up from Florida and give his time and personal chopper. ❤❤
Just make sure the fire chief doesn’t threaten you with arrest for interfering with the government
Beware. At a similar operation in Johnson County Tennessee, the local sheriff allegedly seized donated supplies and threatened to arrest volunteers.
Private multimillionaire grassroots helicopter owners thank you for your help.
Good report
Are there any oil companies / fuel suppliers pitching in to donate free or cheaper fuel? Not like the petroleum companies are hurting financially. I believe they’ve been taking in record profits for several years now!!!
SEEN BIG CLEETER WAS THERE IN HIS VIDEO EARLIER
If all communications are down, how are people making social media posts that they need help?
Complete preparedness failure by local officials. Shame. Spend all their time planning walking trails rather than preparing for disaster.
Shout out to Garret Mitchell, Greg Biffle, and the many other private pilots and even national guard flying in all those goods and evacuations!
Socialists hate this simple trick:
Not waiting on the government and helping your fellow American.
The government has been there since day 1 and guess who shoulders most of the costs of recovery? The government. Funny how you republicans are the ones who voted against the aid package. Pretty obvious you don't even know what socialism is.
FCC has a few billion dollars laying around from blocking starlink from helping …..use the money for fuel…..
God love all of them, they are rockstars every damn one of them. What I don't understand is where in the heck were the State & Federal governments?!! They seem days behind everyone else who's been responding. To me, that is just poor emergency management from the people you'd least expect that from. I get that the whole thing was so unexpected, but the day after, it's pretty damn apparent the tragedy that's unfolded and all I see on the internet are videos of privately owned helicopters. TODAY - was the first time I saw a US ARMY Chinook helicopter actually landing somewhere in the affected zone. I don't intend to state this to bolster any particular political party, what I am saying is that it looks pretty damn late to the party folks...nice of you to join everyone else. That fuel these fantastic volunteers are using every day, yeah at the VERY LEAST, the feds should be stepping up to pay that.
Cleetus Mcfarland !!!
It's more than kamala is handing out. These are the real heros.
Concord airport is also participating in Operation Airdrop.
Amen
If only the U.S. Government had some sort of agency that has hundreds of helicopters and the ability to bring supplies to US citizens.
That is so awesome that average people are helping however how many helicopters does the US military have where are they?? Also our military can build a temporary bridge probably in a day at least we do it in other countries
We must turn our hearts back to God Our Father, America! He loves us so much, He wants our Hearts first. Remember America “We can do all things through Christ who Strengthens Us”, Don’t you know that the Spirit who raised up Christ lives inside you? Let us go in our closet and Kneel down America, Repent, Remember who our Father is and give Him The Glory He Deserves, we have turned our backs to Him, We are in the world but not of it, Humble ourselves and Let go of the anger, fill with His Spirit and Remember Who you Are. Now let us go and help our neighbors in need for He is with us at all times. Thank you Most Loving Father, in the Name of Jesus, we pray.
Crazy that the US military cannot be deployed to do this work ASAP!
The off-road and four-wheel-drive community could and should organize something similar; as most of these high clearance, 4 x 4, Rockcrawler type off road rigs could easily access some of these regions that have been washed out.
Hey, @WCNC, when are you going to question the governor and the president about how long it takes declare an emergency to activate all available agencies?
What a sad state our country is in, when this becomes necessary as a result of official services being so badly eroded.
Cleatus to the rescue
Shouldn't our good friends in Washington be doing this, I guess it must not be a battleground state.
ATVs could distribute supplies from designated helicopter LZ’s all you have to do is ask, and thousands of us would show up to help
I am an essential roadway, construction worker worker/ that recently moved to Florida. I have contacted my supervisors and I’m looking for a connection to get a plane flight to or near Marion hospital to assess damage in the area. Due to communication issues. We are trying to get things up and running again. If anyone has connections is planning to head that direction. please reply….
Was the fire chief guilty of committing an act of Air Piracy ? Forcing a pilot to go under threat of force to fly other then the pilots choice?