JAMES CITY COUNTY, Va. (WAVY) — On Monday afternoon, pilot Alicia Sikes touched down at the Williamsburg-Jamestown Airport with precious cargo: personal protective equipment.
Sikes is one of many volunteer pilots for Angel Flight, a network of pilots who normally transport patients to medical services far from home. Because of the coronavirus, all patient flights were stopped. Now, the nonprofit focuses on transporting much-needed protective equipment.
“I’m a professional pilot and my airplane is grounded right now so I can’t fly for work,” said Sikes. “I have this airplane and so I can put stuff in it and fly it where it needs to go. To be able to get supplies from one place to the other as quickly as possible is good.”
Angel Flight pilots use their own aircraft and cover all flight expenses associated with the trips.
For Monday’s mission, Sikes flew from her home in Pennsylvania to pick up supplies in Blacksburg, Virginia, then flew those supplies to Williamsburg.
Waiting on the tarmac was Nicole Lancour with Williamsburg House of Mercy.
“Really, it’s just a beautiful illustration of just how people are helping people get through this,” said Lancour.
The Williamsburg House of Mercy runs a mobile and drive-through food bank. Since the outbreak began, they’ve served food to more than 6,000 individuals. With hundreds of volunteers, Lancour says keeping the staff safe is essential.
“With the amount of protection equipment we need for the volunteers that are coming in, this really does truly make it possible to serve.”
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