The congregation of Montville Church of Christ recently gathered supplies for hurricane victims in North Carolina. However, they faced a challenge in finding an available delivery truck. Thankfully, Tom Cunningham, a dedicated church member and seasoned pilot, stepped up and volunteered to fly the goods there. Twice, the man packed his Comanche airplane with hundreds of pounds of blankets, sweaters, canned goods, toiletries and more and flew approximately three hours from the Geauga County Airport in Middlefield to Asheville, North Carolina, in order to complete the mission. Tom Cunningham’s Comanche airplane is filled with supplies for the victims of hurricane victims. Members of the Montville Church of Christ collected the donations. (Submitted) Even though he’s logged numerous flights for various reasons since earning his wings in 1978, he mentions having acquired some valuable insights this time around. “I learned something after packing the airplane… you put the heavy stuff in the back seat and lighter stuff in the baggage compartment, that way you could fit more in,” he said. “It was the biggest load I ever had to carry.” Since he returned home directly after completing his duties at Asheville airport, he couldn’t closely observe the devastation in the surrounding areas. However, he remarked that from the air, he saw how the river had washed things out. Longtime area pilot Tom Cunningham volunteered to fly hundreds of pounds of donated goods to hurricane victims in North Carolina. (Submitted) Cunningham expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to help. “I feel that it’s a very important thing to do, it’s a Christian thing to do,” he said. “If you give, somewhere along the way you may receive a blessing back, but I don’t anticipate any pats on my back.” An Ashtabula County resident, Cunningham’s commitment to volunteering his skills and airplane for the benefit of others is nothing new. For the past 20 years he’s been part of the Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 5, a program hosted by the Geauga County Airport that offers Young Eagles fights for youth ages 8 through 17. The free introductory flights are designed to inspire and introduce the participants to the world of aviation. He claims that once airborne most of the potential pilots are excited to handle a few guided maneuvers such as making right and left turns as well as the opportunity to look down at the earth from their lofty vantage point. Cunningham says he would like to see more young people become involved in aviation and enjoy the positive experiences he has throughout the years. “It’s a sense of accomplishment, a stress reliever and it exercises your mind, your body and your soul…there are a lot of rewards,” he said.