Pilot Sigmund Bering Sort has been logging plenty of air miles lately sa国际传媒� 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 Ahnertsa国际传媒檚 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.
sa国际传媒淭hatsa国际传媒檚 how I got started,sa国际传媒� said Sort. sa国际传媒淥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.sa国际传媒�
Sort eventually got to fly Ahnertsa国际传媒檚 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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sa国际传媒淚 have never met so many people who are trembling, weeping and shaking, so happy to see you,sa国际传媒� said Sort. sa国际传媒淚t has been a crazy human experience. It hits you in the core, big-time.sa国际传媒�
Those communities, Sort said, will continue to need assistance. He noted there will be no sa国际传媒榥ormalsa国际传媒� anytime soon for many British Columbia communities.
sa国际传媒淭hese people donsa国际传媒檛 have milk. They donsa国际传媒檛 have eggs. They donsa国际传媒檛 have produce,sa国际传媒� said Sort. sa国际传媒淭heresa国际传媒檚 no highway to bring it in and theresa国际传媒檚 no government helicopter or whether itsa国际传媒檚 provincial or federal. Theresa国际传媒檚 no airlift except for us little airplanes coming in. Wesa国际传媒檙e all scratching our heads. And when I say sa国际传媒榳esa国际传媒�, itsa国际传媒檚 lot of people in this mix, whether itsa国际传媒檚 air traffic controllers, pilots or boots on the ground loading and unloading these planes.sa国际传媒�
Having previously experienced flooding at his home in Parksville, Sort knows too well the recovery process will take some time.
sa国际传媒淲hen the water recedes, yousa国际传媒檙e just beginning that long road back towards normal,sa国际传媒� said Sort. sa国际传媒淎nd after you have cleared your house of mud and debris, you have to replace your floors, the damaged goods, furnituresa国际传媒� on and on it goes. All the people who had flood water and mud in their homes, their businesses and their farm buildings, theysa国际传媒檙e going to be at it for months and months and the general public will kind of forget about them.sa国际传媒�
Sort said he will continue to volunteer but with the winter weather, flying every day might not be possible.
sa国际传媒淚t has put a wrinkle on just how many loads of stuff we can get out to these communities now,sa国际传媒� 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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