Oregon Wing Civil Air Patrol to Assist in Eclipse Traffic Monitoring
(AURORA, Ore.) — Members of the Oregon Wing Civil Air Patrol are flying the skies today through Tuesday, monitoring road and airport conditions of areas in the eclipse's 'path of totality.'
The Civil Air Patrol was launched at the request of the Oregon Department of Aviation (ODA), in conjunction with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and Oregon Office of Emergency Management (OEM). Because Oregon is expected to have more than one million visitors this weekend, ODA, ODOT and OEM have tasked the Civil Air Patrol to monitor areas where there is a high possibility of severe congestion or safety concerns at local airports.
Over the next four days, multiple aircrews from the Oregon Wing CAP will fly routes that will help ODA and ODOT monitor the conditions of at least 17 airports and 7 major roads. The CAP aircrews will be able to give ODA and ODOT personnel real-time updates of the congestion, which could help ODA and ODOT respond to real-time circumstances.
"We are working with the Oregon Department of Aviation, Oregon Department of Transportation and Oregon Office of Emergency Management to assist Oregonians and visitors in having a safe and rewarding experience during the eclipse," Lt Col Nick Ham, Civil Air Patrol Incident Commander, said.
Civil Air Patrol is a strategic partner of the U.S. Air Force serving as a member of its Total Force. It is a Congressionally-chartered nonprofit organization with 56,000 members nationwide. CAP performs 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, and was credited by the AFRCC with saving an average of 80 lives a year.
Using a fleet of 560 single-engine aircraft, CAP flew 104,500 hours last year. CAP does its work supporting America's communities with emergency response, diverse aviation and ground services, youth development and promotion of air, space and cyber power. The members play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to nearly 24,000 young people currently participating in CAP cadet programs. CAP has been performing missions for America for 75 years. For more information, visit www.gocivilairpatrol.com.
