A June 18, 2022, test of how general aviation could help in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake in the Pacific Northwest proved successful.
Called Thunder Run, the day-long drill “was truly a major step forward for GA and the West Coast General Aviation Response Plan (WCGARP) and a huge success in very inclement weather,” reported Sky Terry, Northwest Regional Emergency Services Director for the Emergency Volunteer Air Corps (EVAC).
“It’s been over a decade in the making, but we’ve truly built a response network that will be there in our darkest hour to make that life-saving difference,” he said, noting the annual drills have been held for the past 11 years.
He explained that while general aviation is willing to step up in an emergency, it’s important to train for such events.
To make the event even better, the drill included general aviation pilots flying food to food banks around the region.
During the drill, 57 general aviation pilots from Washington, Oregon, and Canada flew food to multiple food banks in Washington and Oregon, Terry said.
By The Numbers
BC AERO, a Canadian group that organizes pilots and ground support in the aftermath of natural disasters, flew 12,869 pounds of food with 12 pilots flying 31 flights into Bellingham International Airport (KBLI).
That food was combined with a local food drive that ran for about a month and half prior to June 18 that collected another 4,019 pounds of food. Some of that food was flown to other parts of the area, while the Miracle Food Network received 1,127 pounds and Bellingham Food Bank received 1,261 pounds.
KBLI had around 100 arrivals during the day related to the drill.
At Walla Walla Regional Airport (KALW), 24,000 pounds of fresh produce was delivered by land by Farmer Frog.
A $5,000 donation from Serena and a $2,500 donation from AvFuel were combined to buy food from the Safeway store in Walla Walla for the effort.
Pilots flying from Walla Walla were able to get 5,700 pounds of food flown to Renton Municipal Airport (KRNT) “in spite of some truly nasty weather over much of the state,” Terry reported.
The rest was donated to the food bank system in Walla Walla.
You can read more about the annual drill in our story, “General aviation preps for when the big one hits” here.
Click here to watch of video of one general aviation pilot’s flights during the day.
So glad and thankful for so many volunteer pilots and other volunteers in this grand group of organizations!
It will be such great emergency service in any future disaster because they have practiced and fine-tuned the response!
As well as holding food drives and stocking food banks around our state! Thank you!!!