Texas

Business aviation steps up to support Texas flood victims

General aviation pilots, including business aircraft operators, are helping to rush critically needed supplies to those affected by the catastrophic flooding along the Guadalupe River in Texas Hill Country.

Operation Airdrop, a Texas-based nonprofit organization founded in 2017, has established bases at the Commemorative Air Force Museum at Burnet Municipal Airport (BMQ) northeast of Kerrville, TX, and the Million Air FBO at Addison Airport (ADS) near Dallas.

Pilots and local residents may drop off supplies at either location. All donations - ranging from chainsaws and shovels to clear debris, to mops, brooms, cleaning supplies and N95 masks – are consolidated at BMQ, then transported via ground vehicles to the communities of Kerrville, Hunt and other surrounding areas most affected by flooding.

Tara Winter, communications director for Operation Airdrop, said more than 20 aircraft ranging from single-engine Cessnas to a Beechcraft King Air had dropped off supplies at both locations through Monday afternoon.

“Our volunteer pilots started contacting the organization immediately after the magnitude of damage became known,” she said. “Our usual response involves planes arriving empty to take supplies to the affected area. However, with Interstate 10 and other roadways in the affected area largely clear, this is kind of opposite of that.”

NBAA has been in contact with local fire and police departments, as well as officials at Kerrville Municipal Airport (ERV).

“Their priority is keeping local airspace open for ongoing search and rescue operations,” said Steve Hadley, NBAA’s regional programs director. “That makes ground-based operations vital at this time. Fortunately, the ability to quickly adapt to the specific mission at hand is a hallmark of this industry, and business aviation operators can still play an important part of this relief effort.”

With more rain in the forecast for the area throughout the week, Operation Airdrop expects to remain active as needed. “We’re grateful to the aviation community that has come out to support us,” Winter said. “We anticipate a similar response Tuesday and will continue monitoring the situation.

“This hits very close to home for our group,” she added. “This isn’t a typical deployment for us, but so far it appears to be very successful.”

Operation Airdrop is part of NBAA’s Humanitarian Emergency Response Operator (HERO) Database, a list of individuals and organizations in the business aviation community who are part of disaster-response mobilization efforts. In the aftermath of major crises, basic information from the database is provided to organizations coordinating relief efforts.