The Evergreen Supertanker 747 may fly over the Gulf Coast in coming days, dropping a substance that could break up oil that threatens to damage the coastline.

But first the Supertanker spent time at Texas State Technical College-Waco, where it flew just 100 feet above the runway and dropped water on paper applied to the surface.

Scientists from Texas A&M watched the 747 in action and gave it a passing grade for use on the Gulf of Mexico spill.

The Evergreen Supertanker 747 is used to drop retardant on forest fires worldwide.
Evergreen International Aviation photo

Don Paulsen, flight engineer for the supertanker that has gained fame fighting forest fires, said the plane is now in Gulfport, Miss., awaiting instructions from British Petroleum.

The Supertanker had to receive a special certification to help BP control the oil slick caused by a damaged well.

Evergreen, based in Oregon, chose to conduct its tests at TSTC airport because of its size, its proximity to Texas A&M and the fact its runway has markings the scientists could use.

A strange sight

“The Waco facility worked out very well. It could house the large aircraft, and we’ve done some work there before,” said Jim Baynes, program manager for the Evergreen Supertanker 747. “I bet we had the neighborhood wondering what was going on. It’s not often you see a 747 flying 100 feet off the ground.”

The plane arrived last week and made several flights over the runway at various heights and speeds. It dropped water, and crews measured the size of the droplets and their rate of dispersal.

Baynes said Evergreen International Aviation, which owns the Supertanker, does not yet have a contract with BP for use of the 747.

But it is talking with BP officials and didn’t want to waste time.

Dispersants like those the Supertanker may apply have long been used to break up oil slicks. The concoction allows the oil to decompose more quickly or evaporate before washing ashore.

What makes the Evergreen Supertanker special is its size and the amount of chemical it could drop with a single flight.

It is the largest tanker aircraft available today, with a payload of more than 20,000 gallons. It has eight times the drop capability and twice the speed of any federal air tanker fighting fires.

The Evergreen Supertanker 747 has undergone testing at TSTC-Waco airport for possible deployment to the Gulf Coast oil spill.
Evergreen International Aviation photo

“These substances typically require light coverage, about 5 gallons per acre,” Baynes said. “With our plane’s capacity, we could lay a line 200 feet wide and 300 miles long.”

The Evergreen Supertanker can travel 600 miles per hour, making it ideal to respond to emergency situations.

It is privately owned, but the United States Forest Service frequently contracts for its services.

Baynes would not say how much the company has spent to prepare for service in the Gulf.

He did say the company has spent $50 million on the technology that would make it valuable there or in fighting forest fires.

TSTC-Waco airport manager Dan Rowan said the Supertanker is impressive, “but we’re used to seeing big planes out here.”

Air Force One, the official plane of the President of the United States, often landed at TSTC-Waco when President George W. Bush visited his ranch in Crawford.

And L-3 Communications, Waco’s largest industrial employer, modifies military and commercial aircraft that fly into the TSTC-Waco airport.

Rowan said he waived the airport’s landing fee for the Evergreen Supertanker.

mcopeland@wacotrib.com

757-5736