Page 8 - Dec 2022

Robert Johnson’s King Air E90 during a 2021 Operation Airdrop mission to sup- port those affected by Hurricane Ida. Johnson wanted the E90 for its extended fuel capacity and upgraded -135 engines.
“I couldn’t get enough of it and realized I needed to figure out a way to use an airplane in the business. It turns out that was pretty easy to do.’’
locations and providing OAD’s air force of volunteer pilots with weather updates.
Among OAD’s missions since Hurricane Harvey:
Hurricane Irma, 2017: One week after Hurricane Harvey airborne relief efforts had ended, OAD was called to fly supplies to damaged areas throughout Florida, basing aircraft from Tallahassee and Lakeland.
Hurricane Maria, 2017: OAD joined forces with the Major League Baseball Players Association and former players Jose Cruz Jr., Luis Alicea, Nandy Serrano and Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez to charter cargo flights of emergency supplies to Puerto Rico.
Hurricane Florence, 2018: OAD coordinated hundreds of GA compassion flights from Raleigh/ Durham, North Carolina; more than 280,000 pounds of supplies were flown over 520 flights in six days.
“Through fall 2022, OAD has flown well over 1,000 missions to deliver an estimated 650,000 pounds of cargo – from hot meals to cleaning supplies to diapers.’’
6 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
DECEMBER 2022