This area is a "heads up" section that provides information that likely wouldn't be known until after we publish our monthly newsletter. In this section we will post upcoming items such as special meetings, events, and news articles.
For EAA Members immediate attention: (ALSO see update below)Oregon Disaster Airlift Team (ODART) is activating in Central Oregon and is looking for volunteer pilots and planes, ground/base personnel and HAM radio operators. There are currently four clusters of ODART personnel in the following locations, that are being called "depots": Bend, Aurora, Albany & Creswell, with the possibility of a depot being developed in Newport.
Each depot would ideally consist of a list of pilots and planes, HAM communications capability, and a secure storage location for supplies and support equipment.
We have a planned exercise on the weekend of July 8-9. We expect to have runs from Walla Walla on Saturday and runs from depots to destinations on Sunday.
ODART plans to start weekly briefing sessions via Zoom on Wednesday evenings. More info to follow, as we get it. We are looking for more people to join in and help out as we move forward. For more information, or to volunteer, please contact Kim Muinch, the primary contact for the Bend depot. Kim can be reached at 541-848-3600.
COMMUNICATIONS UPDATE August 2023:
The exercises on July 8-9 were successfully completed at all locations. However, in order to stay current we are now planning for future tests that will also include an emphasis to better enhance our HAM radio HF communications.
The Bend ODART team is designing a new antenna system to be mounted atop the Bend Builders Assist hangar. Using a product called Winlink and a new horizontal antenna system that will extend a maximum of 30 feet above the hangar, we hope to improve transmit and receive communications with the other airport facilities. It is also our intent to recruit and train additional licensed HAM radio operators to initialize and activate our site, deploy the antenna, and be ready to handle directional contact with other operators at multiple airports.
We are also reviewing the feasibility of installing VHF/UHF HAM communications frequency capability in certain support aircraft. This will allow an additional avenue of communication to directly contact ground support.
Please contact Kim Muinch for questions and your future support in the above operations.
