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Cameras Help GA Pilots Avoid Flooded Runway at Coastal Oregon Airport

Remote cameras at Pacific City State Airport give pilots a real-time look at the runway conditions before they make the flight to the coast.

Remote cameras alert pilots to runway flooding at Pacific City State Airport in Oregon. [Courtesy: Friends of Pacific City State Airport]
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Key Takeaways:

  • Pacific City State Airport (KPFC) in Oregon frequently experiences severe flooding, with its runway often submerged under several feet of water due to its coastal location, high "king" tides, and heavy rainfall.
  • To enhance safety, the Friends of Pacific City State Airport and the Oregon Department of Aviation installed remote cameras, providing pilots with real-time views of runway conditions before they fly.
  • These cameras are vital for preventing dangerous landings on flooded runways, as well as for assessing post-storm conditions and organizing volunteer cleanup efforts to remove debris like driftwood.
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When it comes to a battle of wills, Mother Nature always wins, especially when it involves flooding at an airport. 

Pilots at Pacific City State Airport (KPFC) in Oregon—a facility located along the coastline about 15 miles southwest of Tillamook and between two rivers—are turning to remote cameras to help win the battle.

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.

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