PRESS RELEASE
The Military Aviation Museum is asking members of the Hampton Roads community – all too familiar with the impacts of hurricanes – to continue to donate essential supplies to help people affected by Hurricane Helene. On Thursday, a World War II-era DC-3 transport plane will fly twice from the Museum to airports in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee to deliver the supplies, carrying a load of 5,000 pounds each time. The Museum also would like to thank the people who have donated a total of 20,000 pounds of supplies so far since the relief drive began at the end of last week. More supplies are needed as the region continues to suffer from the effects of Helene.
The Museum has been working with teams on the ground in North Carolina, particularly the Carolina Aviators Network, to determine what supplies should be gathered and where they are most needed. Urgent items being requested are mops, sleeping bags, tents, canned foods, bungie cords, gas heaters, alkaline batteries (D-cell), cat food, dog food, tarps, rakes, warm clothing (hats and gloves), newborn diapers, backpacks, crayons, kitchen trash bags, blankets, hand warmers, small containers of peroxide, vinegar, peanut butter, jelly and shelf-stable milk (non-refrigerated).
The DC-3 that will depart on Thursday from the Military Aviation Museum’s grounds in Virginia Beach is from the Vintage Flying Machines Collection, a vintage flying collection in South Florida. The joint crew is made up of a pilot a crew chief/load master from the Military Aviation Museum and a co-pilot from Vintage Flying Machines Collection.
The DC-3 is the civilian counterpart to the C-47, best known for dropping American paratroopers on D-Day. On Sunday, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain left the Museum during the Warbirds Over the Beach air show and delivered 5,000 pounds of supplies to Lincoln County Airport in North Carolina. The plane, flown by The Liberty Foundation, a nonprofit flying museum in Douglas, Georgia, delivered a second load of 5,000 supplies from the Museum on Monday.
“Many of the folks that help out and support our annual Warbirds Over the Beach event are from the areas hardest hit by Helene. Hearing those stories had the Museum staff and our volunteers wondering – what can we do to help?” Museum Director Keegan Chetwynd said. “Members of the Hampton Roads community have responded with incredible generosity.”
How to Donate Supplies
People wishing to donate supplies can drop off items at a collection point installed at the Museum’s main entrance. The Museum, at 1341 Princess Anne Road in Virginia Beach, Virginia, is open from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. daily.
About the Military Aviation Museum
The 130-acre nonprofit Military Aviation Museum, located on a private airfield in Virginia Beach, Virginia, is dedicated to preserving, restoring and flying historic military aircraft. Its extensive collection includes examples from both World Wars, offering visitors a unique opportunity to experience aviation history up close. For more information, visit militaryaviationmuseum.
Born in Milan, Italy, Moreno moved to the U.S. in 1999 to pursue a career as a commercial pilot. His aviation passion began early, inspired by his uncle, an F-104 Starfighter Crew Chief, and his father, a military traffic controller. Childhood adventures included camping outside military bases and watching planes at Aeroporto Linate. In 1999, he relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, to obtain his commercial pilot license, a move that became permanent. With 24 years in the U.S., he now flies full-time for a Part 91 business aviation company in Atlanta. He is actively involved with the Commemorative Air Force, the D-Day Squadron, and other aviation organizations. He enjoys life with his supportive wife and three wonderful children.
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