One of the biggest challenges in oil spill response is the quantification and observation of the spilled oil. Both aspects are important from an operational and a regulatory perspective. Over the years various tools have been used to achieve this goal, but there are limitations in capability. Experience has shown that the failure to quantify a spill, quickly with some degree of accuracy can lead to an immense problem of an operational, regulatory and even legal nature. The task of surveillance is not a simple one; skilled observers are needed to identify oil from false targets. Mission planning and data capture in different spectrums are required, but most importantly the data is only of value when back in the command centre, not on the aircraft, so an effective means of high speed data transfer is needed. Communication plays a crucial part in the operations, an ability to communicate directly with the pilot to direct the aircraft is an important asset to the operation. This paper will consider some of the problems of conducting aerial surveillance and demonstrate how one solution has been implemented in the United Kingdom Continental Shelf.
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