Wildfires Leave Seattle Area Pilots Smoked Out

As wildfires burn east of Seattle, general aviation pilots in the Northwest feel the effects.

Thursday, October 20, 2022 at 04:00 PM ET

Verified

The final approach to runway 14R at King County International Airport/Boeing Field (KBFI) was down to 1 mile visibility due to smoke [Courtesy: Ed Bryce]

Key Takeaways:

Seattle is experiencing severe, "unhealthy" air quality (AQI 195) due to wildfire smoke, making VFR flights difficult and being labeled the "worst in the world."
Despite the hazardous conditions, some pilots, including veteran CFI Ed Bryce, are flying, reporting unprecedented 1-mile visibility caused by smoke.
Pilots flying in the smoke experience significant physical discomfort, such as burning eyes and respiratory irritation, leading to a recommendation to wear N95 masks.

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Last week, I wrote about how smoke was making it difficult to do VFR flights in the Seattle area. This morning, Seattle’s Air Quality Index (AQI) is 195, labeled “unhealthy,” according to the Environmental Protection Agency. According to our local television news broadcasts, Seattle now has the worst air quality in the world.

Yet there were still some pilots who went up in this stuff because they had to.