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AAP/PA Images

Torrential rains hit Australia as conspiracy theorists blame aviation company for floods

Handel Aviation operator Mark Handel told AFP that the company does not seed clouds.

AN AUSTRALIAN AVIATION company says it has received more than 100 threats following an online conspiracy theory that its pilots unleashed a flooding disaster by cloud seeding.

Conspiracy theorists spread the false claims after weeks of torrential rains led to deadly east coast floods over the past two months, engulfing homes and sweeping cars from the roads.

Posts shared online alleged aerial survey pilots from Handel Aviation caused a second deluge in the flood-ravaged New South Wales town of Lismore on March 31 by cloud seeding — dispersing a substance into the clouds to prompt rain.

“A pilot from Handel Aviation in Cessna 210N Centurion VH-JIL did a breakfast time cloud seeding run over Lismore South & Ballina today while sightseeing the massive flood below him,” one widely shared post reads.

The flight path of the Handel Aviation aircraft VH-JIL criss-crossing over flooded areas was also shared online by Australian fashion designer Alice McCall alongside claims it was dropping chemicals to “activate rain”.

Handel Aviation operator Mark Handel told AFP that the company does not seed clouds.

The flight was collecting images for aerial maps provided to Australian mapping company, NearMap, he said.

“Handel Aviation operates aerial photography aircraft only. Our recent flights over flooded areas of NSW and QLD are in response to the floods,” a statement on the Handel Aviation website reads.

NearMap confirmed to AFP the photos taken by Handel Aviation were commissioned to map disaster-affected areas for insurers and emergency services.

“These aerial captures are commissioned after major weather catastrophes and natural disasters, including following the recent east coast flooding,” the NearMap spokesman said.

‘Threatening stuff’

The claims circulating online led to more than 100 threats being sent to Handel Aviation, despite it explaining the purpose of the flights on the contact page of the company’s website.

“We had really violent threatening stuff coming through. Like: ‘we have the pilots’ names, we know where you live, you’re going to pay for this,’ kind of stuff,” Handel told AFP.

Handel said he tasked his operations manager, Anthony Berko, with responding to each email and calling people who provided their phone numbers.

Some of those he contacted were surprised or angry, Berko said.

But others were distressed, telling the experienced pilot they had lost everything during the floods and thought the company was responsible.

“They needed a shoulder to cry on and hear their story. They’ve basically lost everything and then someone has then said here’s your answer,” Berko said.

Despite the online claims, cloud seeding is not responsible for any of the east coast floods, said weather modification expert Simon Siems.

Siems, a professor who leads a Monash University team studying clouds and precipitation, said the practise is not conducted in the Northern Rivers region and it cannot cause flooding.

“Cloud seeding is not that effective, people do it only under very special circumstances,” he said.

© AFP 2022

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    Mute Patrick Gormley
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    Aug 26th 2013, 1:43 PM

    Here we go again. When will young people ever learn. Exactly the same criteria as of just about every weekend over the past years. Note : single vehicle collision, late night / early morning , back road or minor road. Most of these collisions involved speed and alcohol , so lets. See how this incident pans out. God help these poor people.

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    Mute Joey JoeJoe Shabadoo
    Favourite Joey JoeJoe Shabadoo
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    Aug 26th 2013, 1:44 PM

    Right on the nose.
    Its a shame, a waste…. And an inevitability…. Week after week.

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    Mute Davin Lynch
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    Aug 26th 2013, 4:54 PM

    Yep…every week.

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    Mute Karen Hennessy
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    Aug 26th 2013, 6:59 PM

    People use young people as scapegoats … We’re not bad people like !

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    Mute Davin Lynch
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    Aug 26th 2013, 7:05 PM

    It’s not that at all,early 20′s and teens dying on our roads every weekend. Personally I think more education is needed. I had a tracker in my car for 4 years when I was younger which meant I couldn’t speed,imagine if all young driver had that..

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    Mute Denise Friary
    Favourite Denise Friary
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    Aug 26th 2013, 1:52 PM

    Let’s not rush to judgement, maybe the car was faulty or the brakes failed please let the Garda do the job of finding the facts.

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    Mute P O Leary
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    Aug 26th 2013, 2:03 PM

    Deniese.
    This is a terrible accident but very few car crashes accur because of mechanical failure. ( I believe its around half of one percent)
    Alchol,Speed and or human error are almost always to blame.
    So sad for the families involved
    RIP to the young man.

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    Mute tom
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    Aug 26th 2013, 2:06 PM

    Driving in the city and on rural backroad roads is not the same. There is lots of factors that may have caused this tragic loss of life. So it’s pointless taking the high moral ground and making generalisations. Rest in peace

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    Mute Monika Kalinska
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    Aug 26th 2013, 2:29 PM

    RIP
    Won’t be easy for the 3 survivors Thoughts and prayers with all involved

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    Mute Dodima99
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    Aug 27th 2013, 7:39 AM

    I live in the area and didn’t hear anything till I saw this article now. Does anyone know if the victim was named yet. Very sad. RIP to him and thought with the family and friends.

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