#1
Posted: 5/14/2010 15:58:54
Modified: 5/20/2010 15:50:18
We received several photos of an Oshkosh aviation company helping to battle the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Over the past two weeks, Clean Gulf Associates’ Basler BT-67 from Basler Turbo Conversions , Oshkosh, has been spraying dispersants on the oil slick in the Gulf, with Basler pilots at the controls. BT-67s are DC-3s converted to turboprops by Basler. The aircraft is fitted with a spray delivery system and has been particularly effective in battling the oil that’s been leaking into the Gulf since an April 20 explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon.
U.S. Coast Guard photos by Petty Officer 3rd Class Stephen Lehmann.
Oil dispersant is carefully pumped from tanks into a Basler BT-67 fixed wing aircraft by workers at a hanger in Houma, Louisiana on May 5, 2010.
Basler’s BT-67 crew releases oil dispersant over oil discharge from the mobile offshore drilling unit, Deepwater Horizon, off the shore of Louisiana, May 5. To date, the unified response has dropped 156, 364 gallons of oil dispersant on the discharge.
Online Community Manager - EAA
#2
Posted: 5/14/2010 16:22:33
I still love these photos ... and I'm awfully proud I learned to fly from the the pilots flying that plane!
EAA 787745
Associate Editor, EAA Publications
#3
Posted: 5/14/2010 21:49:03
Great pictures. There used to be two stock DC-3s and one DC-4 based at Houma-Terrabonne Parish, KHUM. They were under contract, I believe to the Louisianna Offshore Oil Port (LOOP). The full span spray booms were mounted on 5 foot masts on the top surface of the wings near the main spar. I saw one practicing with a load of water. Made an impresive cloud. They would usualy do approaches and T&Gs every 90 days, always on a sunday. Drew a crowd.
These birds never discharged a drop in anger.
#4
Posted: 5/16/2010 16:04:42
I'm impressed, that's about a 70 year old design still going strong, way to go DC-3.
#5
Posted: 5/21/2010 14:33:39
I did some research, and sure enough, this very DC-3, N932H, used to be based here at Middletown Regional Airport in Middletown, OH for many years. It was used as a freighter by Miami Valley Aviation. Here's a picture of what it used to look like.
"Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return."--- Leonardo da Vinci
#6
Posted: 5/21/2010 15:41:15
An oil leak out of control: What do the "dispersants" do? By definition, they ought to disperse the oil over a greater area or volume by sepating complex hydrocarbon chains and diluting the concentration. Isn't the goal to contain the oil? This doesn't really do that then does it? Aren't we also dumping even more toxic chemicals into the ocean. I think that's a pretty bad idea. Way to go BP!!!!