By: Georgia Caroline Patterson
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (UATV) – Local airports across Arkansas spent years planning for the total solar eclipse.
Many airports located in the path of totality are preparing for a possible influx of 200 or more airplanes.
Viewers are traveling from around the world to areas in eclipse totality. Rural towns across Arkansas have emergency plans for eclipse day because of the large increase of people.
Preparation for airports includes measures such as ensuring hangar space, having working employees, and obtaining enough runway space.
The eclipse has raised concerns for safety while in the air during the eclipse, but officials with the Federal Aviation Administration say it is safe and the aircraft will have no complications. Pilots and passengers on the planes will also be secure. The FAA did issue a flight safety guide when in the air during the eclipse.
Bobby Hughes an airplane pilot says “They will fly as normal. There will not be any impacts to aircraft individually, the only major impact will be the concentration of flights on the ground.”
The largest concern is making sure that smaller airports in the path of totality will have enough space on the ground. With the possibility of over 200 extra airplanes at these local airports, preparation for this influx is crucial.
Batesville, Arkansas is expected to see a very high number of visitors during the eclipse and throughout the weekend before.
Batesville Regional Airport has spent time ensuring landing space for visiting eclipse viewers. Not only does there have to be somewhere to land, but also park the aircraft.
Justin Thompson, Batesville Regional Airport manager says, “As far as the eclipse goes, we are making preparations to handle the influx of aircraft. We have to be prepared anywhere from a dozen aircraft to show up to 300.”
The Batesville airport on average has around 16,000 take-offs and landings. The addition of the extra flights from eclipse day has the opportunity to greatly increase these numbers.
Many local airports just like Batesville are not taking reservations for eclipse day. Some viewers plan to wait closer to time before deciding to travel depending on the weather. The unknown number of incoming planes relies on the preparation of the airports for a plane to land and leave the aircraft.
Mike Low an airplane pilot for over 55 years says “As pilots, we always have a fascination with things like meteorology. We are always interested in rare occurrences with weather, and this is an especially rare occurrence.”
Commercial airlines such as United Airlines and Delta have flights traveling through the line of the eclipse. This will cause the viewing for passengers to last six minutes rather than the usual four. These viewing flights are completely sold out.
Hughes says, “The commercial planes will offer a longer viewing for passengers viewing of the eclipse because the airplane is moving about 500 miles an hour along the path.”
Batesville Regional Airport like other small airports have a plan in place in the case of hundreds of aircraft on eclipse day.