The presence of 2 Boeing 727 jets flying across the Isle of Wight has sparked local interest today, but there is no cause for concern – Oil Spill Response Ltd (OSRL) have been conducting the flights as part of an exercise which will prepare the aircraft and its crew to deal with an oil spill on the other side of the world.
The former FedEX cargo aircraft, which have been flying low across the West and South Wight, have been spraying water to simulate a response to a real incident. OSRL stresses that this is an exercise and not a real incident response.
Fitted with internal tanks, pumps and a spray boom to deliver dispersant liquid, the 2 specially adapted Boeing 727-252 (RE) aircraft are a first-of-a-kind capability for the oil and gas industry. In the event of an oil spill, a special dispersant is distributed across the affected area.
Over the past 3 decades OSRL have attended more than 400 oil spill incidents.
