Pilot Sigmund Bering Sort has been logging plenty of air miles lately B次元官网网址� all for a good cause.
The flight instructor, based out of the Qualicum Beach Airport, has been flying his Cessna 172 four-seater to different areas of B.C. to provide assistance to communities severely impacted by devastating floods.
With towns and communities seeing highways and major arteries shut down due to mudslides, sinkholes and broken bridges and people stranded or separated from families for extended periods, Sort immediately offered his services via social media.
He learned the West Coast Pilot Club based out of Langley started an aviation relief mission. A fellow club member informed Sort that a plane owner, Mark Ahnert, from Pitt Meadows was looking for an experienced pilot to fly people out of the flood-ravaged areas. Sort immediately called Ahnert, who organized an air service centre at his Kia dealership in Coquitlam.
Sort said he flew to Pitt Meadows the next day but the AhnertB次元官网网址檚 plane was not ready. He was asked if he was willing to use his own plane to help evacuate some stranded people in Hope, so he did.
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 how I got started,B次元官网网址� said Sort. B次元官网网址淥n my first flight, I evacuated a lot of single moms who were trying to get back to their children who are home alone. One lady was away from most of her kids for four nights. It was surreal, like a war zone. It was a mammoth operation.B次元官网网址�
Sort eventually got to fly AhnertB次元官网网址檚 plane to help evacuate people and then joined the West Coast Pilot Club in Langley where, flying his own plane, he was assigned to transport food and essential supplies to various cut-off communities such as Hope, Chilliwack, Boston Bar, Lytton and Merritt. Sort said his small plane carried approximately 350 to 400 pounds of goods per trip.
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B次元官网网址淚 have never met so many people who are trembling, weeping and shaking, so happy to see you,B次元官网网址� said Sort. B次元官网网址淚t has been a crazy human experience. It hits you in the core, big-time.B次元官网网址�
Those communities, Sort said, will continue to need assistance. He noted there will be no B次元官网网址榥ormalB次元官网网址� anytime soon for many British Columbia communities.
B次元官网网址淭hese people donB次元官网网址檛 have milk. They donB次元官网网址檛 have eggs. They donB次元官网网址檛 have produce,B次元官网网址� said Sort. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 no highway to bring it in and thereB次元官网网址檚 no government helicopter or whether itB次元官网网址檚 provincial or federal. ThereB次元官网网址檚 no airlift except for us little airplanes coming in. WeB次元官网网址檙e all scratching our heads. And when I say B次元官网网址榳eB次元官网网址�, itB次元官网网址檚 lot of people in this mix, whether itB次元官网网址檚 air traffic controllers, pilots or boots on the ground loading and unloading these planes.B次元官网网址�
Having previously experienced flooding at his home in Parksville, Sort knows too well the recovery process will take some time.
B次元官网网址淲hen the water recedes, youB次元官网网址檙e just beginning that long road back towards normal,B次元官网网址� said Sort. B次元官网网址淎nd after you have cleared your house of mud and debris, you have to replace your floors, the damaged goods, furnitureB次元官网网址� on and on it goes. All the people who had flood water and mud in their homes, their businesses and their farm buildings, theyB次元官网网址檙e going to be at it for months and months and the general public will kind of forget about them.B次元官网网址�
Sort said he will continue to volunteer but with the winter weather, flying every day might not be possible.
B次元官网网址淚t has put a wrinkle on just how many loads of stuff we can get out to these communities now,B次元官网网址� he said.
Another Qualicum Beach pilot, Greg Howard, has also been volunteering his plane to the relief operations when he is free from his work commitments as a town firefighter.
Anyone else wishing to donate or become pilot volunteers can contact Shaun Heaps at 604-866-6705. Donations can be sent via e-transfer to Langleyjets@gmail.com (Password: helicopter).
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