SEPTEMBER 17, 2018 BY RENEE SEXTON (South Carolina Radio Network)
While members of the South Carolina Air National Guard conduct search and rescue and damage assessment missions in the flooded areas left behind by Florence, officers are reminding citizens to respect their airspace.
S.C. Army National Guard Soldiers and fire department/EMS rescuers with the S.C. Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team (SC-HART) program, S.C. Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 1 (SC-TF1), deploy from McEntire Joint National Guard Base for Hurricane Florence recovery. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Jorge Intriago)
"We're going to be doing extensive flights in search and rescue efforts and damage assessment flights so we're looking for everybody who operates a drone or anybody who does general aviation to follow the FAA guidelines and stay well clear of any aircraft that are responding to the emergency," said Major Justin Puro, Air Operations Branch Director with the South Carolina Air National Guard.
"They can create problems for the aircraft that are trying to do damage assessment flights in a specific flight plan," he said.
Although most of the damage and flooding is in the Grand Strand and Pee Dee areas, Maj. Puro said the order is statewide.
"It's really just following the FAA guidelines and staying well clear of responding aircraft. We're concerned as the weather gets better people are going to be flying their drones or their general aviation aircraft to try to get a better look," he said.
