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So how should the pilot have known who to contact, if even the assistant fire chief wasn't aware of who was in charge of coordinating volunteers? I agree he wa

So how should the pilot have known who to contact, if even the assistant fire chief wasn't aware of who was in charge of coordinating volunteers? I agree he was probably having a stressful day, but if his default response to stress is to threaten to put a man in a cage, then he should not have authority.

_djo_ 2y ago
He should've approached the South Carolina Emergency Management Division, perhaps: https://www.scemd.org/recover/volunteer-and-donate/ https://www.scemd.org/recover/volunteer-and-donate/ Or contacted one of the organisations listed here: https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4829 https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4829
- fleabagmange 2y ago
  He was an S.C. Pilot flying into NC, and for what it’s worth the area he was flying supplies into was, to put it in desktop GUI terms CTRL-A and CTRL-SHIFT-DELETE All the people clamoring to defend the lame fire chief against the defend just don’t get it. This a world-class disaster area and if someone is willing to risk their own safety to get supplies to people in imminent threat of perishing themselves… that’s a good thing. Life isn’t a 0-risk game, and definitely not in an insane disaster area.
  - traceroute66 2y ago
    > if someone is willing to risk their own safety Except its not "their own safety". If the guy crashes, or runs out of fuel, or has a mechanical fault, or, or ..... What happens then ? Oh yeah, that's right, the professionals have to come scoop up the remains. Its all fun and games playing the hero, until the fun stops.
    - Kim_Bruning 2y ago
      I'm willing to believe he was flying according to FAA regulations, which includes flying a properly maintained and fueled aircraft and taking all applicable hazards into account. (This is the basic assumption of good faith. That and I presume he has a license which says he's able to operate his helicopter competently and safely.)
      - _djo_ 2y ago
        Is he trained in search and rescue? Flying into and landing in confined spaces? Assessing the suitability of disaster landing zones in terms of surface quality and debris? None of that is part of the regular FAA-regulated private pilot training syllabus.
        traceroute66 2y ago
        As the above poster said about training. But also I suspect his insurance company would have a thing or two to say about operating in disaster areas.
  - _djo_ 2y ago
    Then he should've approached the equivalent organisations in North Carolina, such as https://www.nc.gov/working/volunteer-opportunities/volunteernc https://www.nc.gov/working/volunteer-opportunities/volunteer..., as linked from https://governor.nc.gov/news/press-releases/2024/10/01/rescue-relief-and-recovery-operations-continue-western-north-carolina https://governor.nc.gov/news/press-releases/2024/10/01/rescu.... Asking volunteers to not just rush in and do things themselves without coordinating via the proper organisations set up for that purpose is standard for every disaster. For instance: https://matadornetwork.com/change/why-you-shouldnt-run-out-to-volunteer-for-disaster-relief/ https://matadornetwork.com/change/why-you-shouldnt-run-out-t...
traceroute66 2y ago
> So how should the pilot have known who to contact Part of your training as a pilot is learning how to find out about stuff going on in the area where you plan to fly and who to contact about flying in that area. If you don't know (or have forgotten) how to do that, you should not be flying a plane. Full stop. EDIT: For some reason I can't reply to to the commenter below who pasted "met with multiple law enforcement officers and first responders". Those are not people responsible for airspace access and airspace management, and the pilot should have known that. Its 101-basics stuff. Meeting with law enforcement and first responders about airspace is about as useful as fart in a spacesuit. In response to "followed all FAA regulations", well he would not be threatened with arrest if he had .... I suspect there is far more to the story than the one-sided article lets on !
- jdenning 2y ago
  "Once in the Lake Lure area on Saturday, Seidhom said he first landed at the nearest airport and met with multiple law enforcement officers and first responders to coordinate communication channels with them and to find out what was needed and where he should go to help." He did contact local officials and coordinate with them. Why didn't these local officials point him in the right direction? Edit in response to your edit: he also contacted the airport and followed all FAA regulations. 2nd edit response: so the fact that the assistant fire chief threatened to have him arrested implies his guilt? No one has ever been threatened with arrest without having broken a law?
- fleabagmange 2y ago
  > If you don't know (or have forgotten) how to do that, you should not be flying a plane. Full stop. I’m sure the victims on the ground have a different opinion, but thank you for chiming in on their behalf. On defense of the Pilot, it’s awfully hard to coordinate with some random nobody power-tripping beaurocrat in a disaster area with no power, water, or standard communication in play. As a reminder this occurred the day after the storm.
  - traceroute66 2y ago
    > As a reminder this occurred the day after the storm. I don't care if its the day of the storm, the day after or 50 years after. The rules and laws of aviation do not cease to operate just because there has been a major storm. In fact quite the opposite, they deserve to be far more rigorously adhered to and enforced because of the greater risk.

_djo_ 2y ago

He should've approached the South Carolina Emergency Management Division, perhaps: https://www.scemd.org/recover/volunteer-and-donate/ https://www.scemd.org/recover/volunteer-and-donate/ Or contacted one of the organisations listed here: https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4829 https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4829

fleabagmange 2y ago
He was an S.C. Pilot flying into NC, and for what it’s worth the area he was flying supplies into was, to put it in desktop GUI terms CTRL-A and CTRL-SHIFT-DELETE All the people clamoring to defend the lame fire chief against the defend just don’t get it. This a world-class disaster area and if someone is willing to risk their own safety to get supplies to people in imminent threat of perishing themselves… that’s a good thing. Life isn’t a 0-risk game, and definitely not in an insane disaster area.
- traceroute66 2y ago
  > if someone is willing to risk their own safety Except its not "their own safety". If the guy crashes, or runs out of fuel, or has a mechanical fault, or, or ..... What happens then ? Oh yeah, that's right, the professionals have to come scoop up the remains. Its all fun and games playing the hero, until the fun stops.
  - Kim_Bruning 2y ago
    I'm willing to believe he was flying according to FAA regulations, which includes flying a properly maintained and fueled aircraft and taking all applicable hazards into account. (This is the basic assumption of good faith. That and I presume he has a license which says he's able to operate his helicopter competently and safely.)
    - _djo_ 2y ago
      Is he trained in search and rescue? Flying into and landing in confined spaces? Assessing the suitability of disaster landing zones in terms of surface quality and debris? None of that is part of the regular FAA-regulated private pilot training syllabus.
      - traceroute66 2y ago
        As the above poster said about training. But also I suspect his insurance company would have a thing or two to say about operating in disaster areas.
- _djo_ 2y ago
  Then he should've approached the equivalent organisations in North Carolina, such as https://www.nc.gov/working/volunteer-opportunities/volunteernc https://www.nc.gov/working/volunteer-opportunities/volunteer..., as linked from https://governor.nc.gov/news/press-releases/2024/10/01/rescue-relief-and-recovery-operations-continue-western-north-carolina https://governor.nc.gov/news/press-releases/2024/10/01/rescu.... Asking volunteers to not just rush in and do things themselves without coordinating via the proper organisations set up for that purpose is standard for every disaster. For instance: https://matadornetwork.com/change/why-you-shouldnt-run-out-to-volunteer-for-disaster-relief/ https://matadornetwork.com/change/why-you-shouldnt-run-out-t...

traceroute66 2y ago

> So how should the pilot have known who to contact Part of your training as a pilot is learning how to find out about stuff going on in the area where you plan to fly and who to contact about flying in that area. If you don't know (or have forgotten) how to do that, you should not be flying a plane. Full stop. EDIT: For some reason I can't reply to to the commenter below who pasted "met with multiple law enforcement officers and first responders". Those are not people responsible for airspace access and airspace management, and the pilot should have known that. Its 101-basics stuff. Meeting with law enforcement and first responders about airspace is about as useful as fart in a spacesuit. In response to "followed all FAA regulations", well he would not be threatened with arrest if he had .... I suspect there is far more to the story than the one-sided article lets on !

jdenning 2y ago
"Once in the Lake Lure area on Saturday, Seidhom said he first landed at the nearest airport and met with multiple law enforcement officers and first responders to coordinate communication channels with them and to find out what was needed and where he should go to help." He did contact local officials and coordinate with them. Why didn't these local officials point him in the right direction? Edit in response to your edit: he also contacted the airport and followed all FAA regulations. 2nd edit response: so the fact that the assistant fire chief threatened to have him arrested implies his guilt? No one has ever been threatened with arrest without having broken a law?
fleabagmange 2y ago
> If you don't know (or have forgotten) how to do that, you should not be flying a plane. Full stop. I’m sure the victims on the ground have a different opinion, but thank you for chiming in on their behalf. On defense of the Pilot, it’s awfully hard to coordinate with some random nobody power-tripping beaurocrat in a disaster area with no power, water, or standard communication in play. As a reminder this occurred the day after the storm.
- traceroute66 2y ago
  > As a reminder this occurred the day after the storm. I don't care if its the day of the storm, the day after or 50 years after. The rules and laws of aviation do not cease to operate just because there has been a major storm. In fact quite the opposite, they deserve to be far more rigorously adhered to and enforced because of the greater risk.