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The Skywatch pilots (L to R): Noriko Date, Denise Egglestone, Akky Mansikka, Barbara Santamaria, Dee Birchmore and Lorna Novosel
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Aerial Surveillance began in the Ontario Ministry of
the Environment in 1978 with Operation Skywatch. Pilots with the
First Canadian Chapter of the The Ninety- Nines, the International
organization of Women Pilots, volunteer their time, energy, and
skills, to fly for the Ministry, for surveillance of air, land,
water and waste management, to monitor and document sites of
environmental concern. This falls in the Ninety-Nines mission to
promote educational, charitable, and scientific interests. The
pilots participating in the Skywatch program have been able to
pursue both environmental interests, their love of flying and
promote women’s role in aviation. The Ministry incurs all flight
costs.
The formation of the
Investigations and Enforcement Branch in 1985 helped to establish
the use of aerial surveillance as an important tool for
investigations. The Ministry continues to utilize aerial
surveillance today. A typical flight consists of a pilot, picking up
field staff at various locations, plotting the sites on an aviation
map and navigating there, circling the sites at an operationally
safe altitude, and return home with safety being the number one
priority. Field staff monitor and document site conditions with
either film-based or digital photographs. These photographs have
proved invaluable in investigations and prosecutions.
In April, the work of the
Ninety-Nines and Operation Skywatch was featured in the documentary,
“Angels in the Sky” presented at the Ontario Science Centre during
Environment Month. Now, with increased environmental awareness, and
a renewed interest in aerial surveillance, there is potential for
more proactive environmental monitoring in the future.
For more information on the
Ninety-Nines contact Asti Livingston Chair of the 99’s First
Canadian Chapter at
Asti41@aol.com or Akky Mansikka 99’s Chair of Skywatch at
akkymansikka@hotmail.com
