Business Aviator Delivers Essentials to Flooded Texas Neighbors

Originally published in National Business Aviation Association

When Texas-based Operation Airdrop put out a call for volunteers to help those impacted by the catastrophic flooding in Texas, Colton Miller was one of those who answered the call.

Miller, a Texas-based pilot with a large fractional charter company, said he was aware of Operation Airdrop for a while, but this is the first mission he’d been able to take part in, piloting a King Air owned by his friend Andy Smith, and based at McKinney National Airport.

On Monday, July 7, Miller loaded up the King Air with supplies and flew to the Million Air Fixed Base Operator at Addison Airport to add in more donated supplies. He then flew down to Operation Airdrop’s established base at the Commemorative Air Force Museum at Burnet Municipal Airport northeast of Kerrville, Texas, where the supplies were loaded onto a truck and driven directly to those in need.

Miller called the operation a “well-oiled machine” because supplies were quickly loaded, unloaded and trucked to the impacted area. He thanked Million Air for donating fuel and personnel, and the Commemorative Air Force Highland Lakes Squadron for the help with packing and unpacking supplies.

He also acknowledged his friend Smith for stepping up and offering the use of his plane for the mission.

While he couldn’t see the flood damage from the Kerrville airport, Miller said the devastation was visible when flying over Lake Travis, which was littered with foliage and debris from the floods.

Miller, who has been flying professionally since he was 19, said there were a good number of planes coming and going from northern Texas to help flood victims.

“We’re a tight-knit community in the state. We’re all Texans. We’re all friends,” he said. “We’re willing to help anytime. It felt like helping family.”

Operation Airdrop has information on its Facebook page on needed supplies.

Operation Airdrop is part of the National Business Aviation Association’s Humanitarian Emergency Response Operator 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.