Remote cameras alert pilots to runway flooding at Pacific City State Airport in Oregon. [Courtesy: Friends of Pacific City State Airport]
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 between two rivers and the ocean, especially during king tides.
To prevent dangerous landings on submerged runways, 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.
These cameras also assist in post-flood assessment, enabling volunteer groups to efficiently organize the cleanup of debris like driftwood from the runway.
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.
CREATE A FREE ACCOUNT
Sign up to keep reading
Create a free account to continue. Already a member? Sign in below.
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.
