COMMANDERS FLY RECON OVER
BP GULF OIL SPILL
Among the contingent of ships and aircraft that have been deployed in the cleanup of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill is at least one Twin Commander. Airborne Support, Inc. of Houma, Louisiana, has been flying a 690A almost since the spill occurred.
�We were brought on within hours of explosion, and flew our first mission with the Twin Commander on Day Two,� said Brad Barker, whose father, Howard, founded the company.
In the months since Airborne has flown nearly every day. Along with the Commander, Airborne�s active fleet is comprised of a pair of radial-engine DC3s and one turboprop-powered DC3. On days when the weather permits, the Commander departs early to search a designated section of the Gulf. The pilot and an observer look for an oil sheen on the water�s surface. If they spot one, they notify base and either return to refuel, or loiter until one of the DC3s arrives.
The big DC3s function as sprayers, flying as low as 50 feet over the water to spread dispersant that breaks down the oil. The Commander flies higher, directing the spray aircraft to the exact location of the oil slick, and, if necessary altering the spray operator precisely when to begin spraying and when to stop.
�The Commander is fast and efficient,� says Barker, who shares in the flying duties, �and you get a good view of everything.�
Some weeks the Commander flies 50 hours. At that pace the 150-hour inspections come up quick and Barker has to have a backup airplane. �We operate one Commander at a time, but we have gone through a few of them to keep one in the air,� he says. �I let Bruce Byerly of Naples Jet know that we�re coming up on needing a replacement, and he locates one for short-term lease.�
Their flying began to wind down after the well was capped, but the company is still on standby if needed. The work is hard and the hours are long, but Barker believes he and his company are having an impact. �I enjoy what I do,� he says. �I know that I�m making a difference, making a positive impact on world. I know that I�m where God wants me right now, doing what I was born to do.�
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