On 2 February, Bangkok Aviation Ongkharak School started the special mission “Reducing PM 2.5 Flight” as Police General Assawin Kwanmuang, Bangkok Metropolitan Administrator (BMA), had agreed for small aircrafts of Bangkok Aviation Ongkharak School in flying to spray water droplets to reduce dust in the air which was less than 2.5 microns (PM2.5), along with a letter asking for permission from the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) to fly above Rama 2 Road, Bangkhunthian District, a joint area between Bangkok and Samut Sakhon, where the quantity exceeded the maximum value of dust standard, before Bangkok Aviation Ongkharak School was allowed to start the mission.
Bangkok Aviation Ongkharak School had planned to use small aircrafts in flying to spray water droplets to reduce the dust in the air, going from the original plan which would be 10 aircrafts flying in a row to taking off 1 aircraft every 1 hour. This plan was launched during the meeting with the relevant authorities that flying in a row of 10 and flying individually had no difference in effect, and could have less risk in causing an accident.
As planned, the flight would be divided into 8 flights, which the aircraft would take off from the airfield of Bangkok Aviation Ongkharak School (Klong 15, Nakhon Nayok) to take a mission of scattering water droplets to reduce the dust in the air as appropriate. The flights, which were planned to be at 09.00, 10.00, 11.30 , 12.30, 13.00, 13.30, 14.00, and the last flight, 14.30, would fly at 1,000 feet height, or approximately at 300 metres with 100 litres of water tied up at the back of a pilot’s seat each time. Each flight would be able to spray the water droplets for around 30 minutes per flight.
The result of this mission turned out as a success which could be seen from the dust measure station of each district that the aircrafts flew above. The amount of PM2.5 dust from before and after the mission could reduce the dust down by 30% which was a significant decrease and received a satisfied result. Therefore, Bangkok Aviation Ongkharak School planned to continue flying to alleviate PM2.5 dust in various problematic areas.
