A World War II Historic Aircraft Heads To The Bahamas To Provide Help After Hurricane Dorian

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Some of this aid will come from Montana by a special aircraft from the time of the Second World War.

The C-47 aircraft, known as Miss Montana, left the state on Saturday for its trip to the south. She stopped in Florida and will leave Fort Lauderdale on Monday to deliver the first load of meals to needy Bahamians, according to CNN affiliate KECI. Volunteer pilots hope to deliver 40,000 meals a day to the island nation, which was struck by Hurricane Dorian.

The volunteers had initially planned to make deliveries for two weeks, but will stay longer if necessary.

"Working to help others, what a great calling," said Eric Komberec, one of the pilots who piloted the plane in the Bahamas. "The plane was designed for that, it's the ideal aircraft for that."

Backpacks filled with help

About $ 5,000 in donations also helped volunteers fill their backpacks with supplies that will be delivered via Miss Montana. Hurricane survivors desperately need things, like toothbrushes.

"People move from shelter to shelter, from school to school or wherever they can sleep, and that gives them something to do to put their belongings in the bag," said a volunteer, Tia, to KECI. Komberec.

Hurricane Dorian decimated much of Grand Gahamas and the Abaco Islands north of the Bahamas. The official toll of the storm remains at 50, but officials warn that this number will almost certainly increase.

The long history of the plane

The plane is housed at the Museum of Mountain Flying in Missoula, Montana. The museum offered to donate air services and cargo capacity for the relief effort after the hurricane, according to the Volunteer Group's Facebook posting, in tribute to the pilots who flew the plane during the Berlin airlift seven decades ago.
Miss Montana was built towards the end of the war. It did not fly during the Second World War, the war ending even before its completion, says a website run by volunteers who helped restore the plane. For years, the plane has transported firefighters and firefighters who fought fires in Montana.

Earlier this year, Miss Montana flew to Europe to take part in festivities commemorating the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

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