Endeavor pilot contributes to hurricane relief efforts by delivering critical supplies to North Carolina communities

When Hurricane Helene tragically hit the southeastern states of the US, Endeavor First Officer Kayla Miller knew she couldn’t take a backseat to disaster relief efforts.

After hearing about a friend who was planning to fly his Piper Archer down to the Carolinas to help those in need, Kayla jumped in to help. The pair flew two private planes to the relief area, each filled to the brim with donations, resources and food.

“I think that being able to fly is such a unique ability, and using my skills to help others has always been something that is important to me,” said Kayla, who is based in NYC. “Giving back to the community with resources and having the ability to transport items to those in need, makes me feel really blessed.”

Banner Elk, NC, is one of the towns that was deeply affected, getting hit with three inches of snow on the top of the mountain. The area was asking for space heaters, blankets and coats to keep people warm because at the time, 60% of people still didn’t have any power. Kayla asked her circle of family and friends for money and donations and stocked up on kids’ jackets and other necessities.

“It’s hard to fathom not having access to basic human needs, and these people needed our help,” Kayla said. “To be able to help people that have lost everything is just a really wonderful thing.”
Kayla and her friend flew from the Mark Anton Airport to the Greenville Municipal Airport in Greenville, TN.

The airport coordinated a donation drop-off site with a large trailer. They took a day trip and spent about 5 hours flying there and back.

“It was heartbreaking to fly over the Tennessee River,” Kayla said. “Once you fly right over the river, the water levels are still high, and the watercolor is dark brown with debris all over. That was so surreal. You’ve seen the devastation on social media, but seeing it in person is a completely different experience.”

When Kayla and her friend arrived at the airport, her spirits lifted as she witnessed strangers coming together. People from all over the country flew their own planes onto the runway and gave their personal time to those in need.

“It was really cool to see all of the people flying in and dropping off donations from all over the country,” Kayla said. “This was a one-day event and there’s many people helping every day, but I am very grateful to have experienced this.”