Greg Biffle, the popular former NASCAR driver, lives just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. But when Hurricane Helene hit his state, he did not experience the worst of it. So, when a friend asked Biffle if he’d like to use his own helicopter to help a family in need, there was no hesitation. But what started out as helping a single family has turned into so much more.
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At first, Biffle had no idea the level of devastation this storm had left behind, especially so close to home. But in flying out to help one family, he got a close look at the aftermath. This clearly changed him deeply. Ever since, he has used his own helicopter to fly out much-needed food, medicine, and other supplies to those who can’t get help otherwise. Biffle shares clips of his journeys on his social media, like in the video below.
@gregbiffle16 10/6/24 Randomly landed in this area where the fire station is gone, houses no longer line the creek, roads are completely gone, bridge is split in two, and active search and rescue were taking place. Told power would take 4-5 months. We noticed no cell service so we were able to drop a starlink system to make sure they get connected. 📍Pisgah National Forest somewhere #hurricanehelene ♬ original sound – denzel_lessons
“After I posted that first day I got like 4,000 messages in an hour and a half,” Biffle explains. “Messages like, ‘I haven’t heard from my parents. My brother’s up there. My sister’s there. My kids, my grandparents, my neighbors.’ … What I thought was one day of flying turned into a rescue mission of dire need.”
Greg Biffle Leads the Charge in Giving Out Supplies to Hurricane Helene Victims Via Helicopter
@gregbiffle16 The mirror that caught our attention well over a mile away 👀 only way we we were able to find someone stranded in the mountains at bottom of steep canyon. 6 attempts to land due to difficulty but we got there – got him a chainsaw, EpiPens, insulin, chicken food, formula, gas, 2 stroke oil, and sandwiches premade from Harris Teeter before we left #hurricanehelene ♬ God's Country – State of Mine & Drew Jacobs
Biffle is far from the only person contributing in this way. In fact, he says he’s simply one of more than 70 private helicopter pilots who are bringing out supplies to folks. With so many people located where larger aircrafts can’t reach, this is all the more vital. Now, Biffle has found a way to thank those pilots for their contributions.
“In honor of all pilots who flew and are still flying to support rescue and supply operations after Hurricane Helene, please email your tail number to the above email address,” Biffle writes in a post. “A small token of appreciation will be mailed to address on record unless specifically stated.”
There is no telling how long it will take for areas like this to rebuild after Hurricane Helene. That’s why it’s so important that we join together to do what we can to help one another.
“The way I was raised was you don’t leave people behind,” Biffle shares. “I recognized right away with all of the people texting me and messaging me that there were desperate people. I wasn’t going to stop until I felt like I’d done everything I could within my means.”
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