Reserve conducts
aerial spray mission over Louisiana
by Staff Sgt. Jennifer Gregoire
Air Force Reserve Command Public Affairs
9/13/2005 - DUKE FIELD, Fla. (AFPN) -- The
Air Force Reserve continues to save lives in Hurricane Katrina’s
aftermath by conducting the first of many aerial spray missions
that began Sept. 12 over Louisiana in an attempt to reduce
mosquito and filth fly populations.
The Department of Defense’s only fixed-wing aerial spray unit,
the 910th Airlift Wing, and its C-130 Hercules were requested by
the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention to spray until the threat of
disease subsides. FEMA officials are assessing how many acres
need to be sprayed as a result of Katrina.
“The elimination of disease-carrying insects is a vital part of
ensuring public health and safety in the aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina,” said Lt. Col. Steve Olson, a 910th AW medical
entomologist. “The targeted insects are capable of transmitting
diseases such as Eastern Equine Encephalitis, West Nile virus
and malaria. If not controlled, the probability people will
contract these diseases, either in single incidents or in
widespread outbreaks, increases greatly.”
The 910th AW from Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio, is
operating out of here because of its proximity to the spray
area, ability to handle C-130 aircraft and capability to support
the mission without conflicting with other relief efforts.
Each modified C-130 is equipped with a modular aerial spray
system. Dibrom is the chemical choice for the mosquito control
operation.
The chemical, sprayed in a fine mist, is dispersed in a ratio
similar to a few tablespoons over an entire football field. A
gallon of Dibrom is capable of treating 128 to 256 acres. At
this rate of application, it does not pose a hazard to humans or
the environment, Colonel Olson said.
“When the aircrew makes a swath across the spray area, people on
the ground will most likely only see the aircraft engine
exhaust,” said Lt. Col. Marty Davis, mission commander. “Within
10 to 15 seconds after the spray is released, it becomes
virtually invisible to the naked eye. In fact, the spray is so
fine that it’s small enough to attach to the hair on a
mosquito’s legs.”
Up to two C-130s will fly per day and are capable of spraying a
combined area of up to 200,000 acres. To be most effective,
spray operations will begin about two-and-a-half hours before
dusk when the mosquito population is most active.
During these low-level missions over the city and outlying
areas, aircraft fly at about 150 feet.
“The reason for flying so low is to help maintain the chemical’s
maximum effect in the designated spray area,” Colonel Davis
said.
A second application is often sprayed to control additional
mosquitoes that hatch after the first aerial spray.
The 910th AW is not new to this type of mission. The Air Force
Reserve Command unit has flown a variety of aerial spray
missions since 1973. During aerial spray operations following
Hurricane Floyd in 1999, the unit sprayed about 1.7 million
acres over areas of Virginia and North Carolina.
The missions will not interfere with search-and-rescue
operations still ongoing in Louisiana, said Maj. Tim Austin,
deputy mission commander for the Hurricane Katrina relief effort
spray mission and chief of spray operations for the 757th
Airlift Squadron.
“The air space over the spray area has been de-conflicted, but
if a search and rescue mission is needed, we can abort a swath
in seconds,” he said. “The spray controllers on board the
aircraft will stop the spray and the pilot will initiate a climb
and turn out of the spray area.” |
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