Lake City helicopter pilot Ian Whitlock left with supplies for Hurricane Helene victims in North Carolina. He will be involved in Operation Airdrop operations.

A grassroots effort led by relief organization Operation Airdrop has put together a group of private helicopters to aid victims affected by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. Pilot Matt McSwain said volunteers from Texas to Maine are lining up to help deliver supplies and survey damaged areas.

A Lake City helicopter pilot on Friday left on an Operation Airdrop mission to support Hurricane Helene relief efforts. Ian Whitlock has flown helicopters for 12 years but has been a pilot for 23 years.

A local pilot, known only as “Helene,” has been threatened with arrest for operating a private aircraft without proper authorization, despite her ongoing efforts to rescue stranded residents in the wake of Hurricane Florence.

There is a growing hurricane relief effort underway in Northern Virginia, as volunteers and pilots at the Leesburg Executive Airport gather supplies and fly them to devastated towns in North Carolina after Helene.