Hillsboro Airport Users Ignore Governor Brown's Stay Home, Save Lives Order

Miki Barnes
April 6, 2020

On March 23, 2020, in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19, Governor Kate Brown issued Executive Order 20-12 entitled Stay Home, Save Lives. According to the order,

"It is essential to the health, safety and welfare of the State of Oregon during the ongoing state of emergency that, to the maximum extent possible, individuals stay at home or at their place of residence, consistent with the directives set forth in my Executive Orders and guidance issued by the Oregon Health Authority."[1]

Number 22 under the "Outdoor Recreation and Travel" section of the document says that, "Individuals are directed to minimize travel, other than essential travel to or from a home, residence, or workplace; for obtaining or providing food, shelter, essential consumer needs, education, health care, or emergency services; for essential business and government services..."[2] An article released by the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) provides additional context, "...most general aviation flights would not be considered 'essential,' unless a pilot is transporting medical supplies or conducting other necessary activities."[3] This same article also pointed out that, "After several San Francisco Bay-area counties enacted shelter-in-place orders in mid-March, many flight schools simply closed their doors until the orders are lifted."

Yet flight training and other inessential general aviation activities have continued at the Hillsboro Airport and other airports in the area. Many of these flights involve repetitive looping and circling over homes and neighborhoods for an hour or more while pummeling impacted residents with noise, lead emissions, and pollution.

Rapid Increase of COVID-19 Cases in U.S.

According to a 4/5/2020 CNN posting,[4] Johns Hopkins University data stated that there are 321,762 reported cases of COVID-19 nationwide and 9,132 deaths. These growing numbers coincide with CDC projections warning that between 100,000 and 240,000 Americans will die as a result of this frightening disease. The ongoing lack of adequate testing continues to be a concern, as does the recognition that people who seem healthy could be carriers. Despite these grim warnings, aviation businesses including Hillsboro Aero Academy, Hagele Aviation and Christiansen Aviation, without any discernible consideration for the greater good, are continuing to operate out of HIO.

A 3/28/2020 Department of Homeland Security Advisory Memorandum[5] did not include student pilots, flight instructors, or recreational pilots on its list of essential infrastructure workers during the COVID-19 response. Flight training is a for-profit private business enterprise that does not contribute to stopping the spread of the disease. In fact, it is far more likely that it is a contributing factor in the spread rather than the containment of COVID-19.

Nearly 25 Percent of Oregon's COVID-19 Cases in Washington County

Given Oregon's laxity in enforcing the stay home order, it should come as no surprise that Washington County, the jurisdiction within which the Hillsboro Airport is located, has been identified as the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak in Oregon. Per the Oregon Health Authority, 271 of the 1132 Oregonians who have tested positive for the disease reside in Washington County. This translates into close to 25 percent of all known Oregon cases as of 4/6/2020.[6] It is also important to bear in mind that due to the widespread lack of adequate testing, screening and monitoring, the number of actual cases is likely much higher.

The question then arises: Why are inessential general aviation flights continuing at the Hillsboro Airport, when the Homeland Security Advisory states that "In person non-mandatory activities should be delayed until the resumption of normal operations."? The DHS memorandum also states that "Everyone should follow the CDC, as well as State and local government officials regarding strategies to limit disease spread."

Impacted residents are already experiencing elevated stress levels due to the restrictive but necessary limitations imposed by the Stay Home, Save Lives order. Further compounding these already difficult circumstances by adding disruptive aviation noise, lead, PM2.5, CO2, carbon monoxide and other toxic emissions to the mix is insensitive and uncaring.

Flight Training Aircraft Pose a Health Risk

Fortunately, other flight training businesses have demonstrated higher ethical standards than those in evidence at the Hillsboro Airport. One is Virginia-based Aviation Adventures. According to a recent article, Bob Hepp, the owner of the company "told Flying that while he knew he could easily meet the letter of the law and remain open for business, he decided along with his other managers that keeping the doors open could also invite serious trouble..."

As articulated by Hepp,

"We're a flight school with instructors and students who are trying to sit 6 feet apart on the ground. But in an airplane they simply can't. Everyone is touching the same flight controls and buttons on the avionics and no matter how much we try to disinfect after every flight, someone could miss something. I don't want to be responsible for someone getting sick. I feel strongly that we did the right thing."[7]

Sadly, many general aviation users at Hillsboro Airport are continuing to place their own interests above and beyond the health, safety and well-being of the community, including their own employees and trainees, despite the life threatening dangers posed by the novel coronavirus pandemic. Aviation businesses and private pilots should be held legally responsible for violating the Stay Home, Save Lives order and for willfully putting vulnerable residents in harm's way.

Take Action

Contact Governor Brown on the Citizen Line at 1-503-378-4582 and urge her to enforce her Stay Home, Safe Lives order. Recreational flying and flight training do not meet criteria for essential travel and could potentially accelerate the spread of COVID 19.

In addition, contact your local, state and federal elected officials.

Flight Tracks

Below are FlightRadar24 screenshots of the numerous aircraft training flights and recreational activity over Washington County in recent days. This type of activity has been going on for the entire time the stay home order has been in place These images depict just a very few examples and don't begin to show the full amount of flight training, practice maneuvers, and recreational flying that occurred during this time-frame.

The refusal of general aviation companies to honor the executive orders issued by Governor Brown betrays an indifference to the greater good that is difficult to fathom. Hillsboro Aero Academy is the worst offender, but other companies including Hagele Aviation, Christiansen Aviation and various private pilots, are also exhibiting an appalling disregard for the spirit of the orders and the best interests of the local population during these challenging times.

 

This is a Monday, 4-06-20 screenshot of an aircraft registered to the Hillsboro Flying Club. The aircraft departed from the Hillsboro Airport at 12:11 pm. It then circled over the Banks area before proceeding to the Scappoose Airpark to practice touch-and-go maneuvers. It remained in the air for an hour and twenty minutes before returning to the Hillsboro Airport. A recreational flying club flight does not meet criteria for essential travel and should be banned under the stay home, save lives order.

 

This aircraft is registered to Christiansen Aviation, a flight training outfit operating out of the Hillsboro Airport. It had been in the air nearly an hour when this screenshot was captured on 4/06/20 at 11:15am. After looping over the area, the aircraft proceeded to practice touch-and-go maneuvers in the vicinity of the Hillsboro Airport.

 

This screenshot was captured on 04-05-2020 at 3:23 pm. The flight pattern was produced by an aircraft registered to Hillsboro Aero Academy. It shows a Cessna flying repeatedly over Banks and the surrounding community. At least 7 of the other aircraft visible over Washington County in this photo are registered to Hillsboro Aero Academy.

 

This is a close-up of the previous screenshot.

 

This 04/05/20 Hillsboro Aero Academy training flight circled and looped repeatedly over Western Washington County before returning to Hillsboro to practice touch-and-go maneuvers. Note the three other aircraft flying over the area at the same time. This screenshot was captured at 4:22 pm.

 

This screenshot was captured on 4-05-20 at 5:23 pm. At the time the picture was taken, the aircraft, which is registered to Hillsboro Aero Academy, had been looping and circling repeatedly over Banks and the surrounding area for over an hour. This is occurring at a time when the majority of conscientious residents are staying home in an effort to limit the spread of the coronavirus outbreak. The relentless noise and pollution generated by aircraft of this nature adds to already heightened levels of stress and anxiety.

 

This flight pattern was produced on 4/04/20 by an aircraft registered to Hagele Aviation. The owner of this flight training company is Chuck Hagele. In addition to running his own business, he is also the Director of Maintenance for the Hillsboro Aero Academy.

 

This screenshot of an aircraft registered to Hagele Aviation was taken on Sunday 4-05-20 at 3:38. The flight had been in the air for nearly 45 minutes when the picture was taken. Note the multiple other aircraft in flight at the same time. Many are also generating repetitive patterns over the area.

Sources

[1] Brown, Kate. Executive Order 20-12. Office of the Governor State of Oregon. (3/23/2020). Pg. 3. Last accessed on-line on 4-6-2020 at https://govsite-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/jkAULYKcSh6DoDF8wBM0_EO%2020-12.pdf.

[2] Ibid. Pg. 7.

[3] NBAA. Point of Impact: Flight Schools, Other Aviation Businesses Impacted by Shelter-in-Place Orders. National Business Aviation Association. (4/6/2020). Last acce3ssed on-line on 4/3/2020 at https://nbaa.org/aircraft-operations/safety/coronavirus/covid-19-point-of-impact/flight-schools-other-aviation-businesses-impacted-by-shelter-in-place-orders/.

[4] Holcombe, Madeline and Andone, Dakin. U.S. Coronavirus Fight Enters Crucial Weeks as the Number of Cases Tops 320,000. CNN. (Updated 4/5/2020) Last accessed on-line on 4/6/2020 at https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/05/health/us-coronavirus-sunday/index.html.

[5] Krebs, Christopher C. Advisory Memorandum on Identification of Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers During COVID-19 Response. U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency. (3-28-2020). Last accessed on-line on 4/6/2020 at https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/CISA_Guidance_on_the_Essential_Critical_Infrastructure_Workforce_Version_2.0_Updated.pdf.

[6] Demographic and Hospital Information: Oregon Heath Authority / COVID-19 Updates. (Updated on 4/6/2020). Last accessed on-line on 4/6/2020 at https://govstatus.egov.com/OR-OHA-COVID-19.

[7] Mark, Rob. Flight Training Industry Deciphers Shelter-in-Place Orders. Flying. (3/24/2020). Last accessed on-line on 4/04/2020 at https://www.flyingmag.com/story/training/flight-training-shelter-in-place/.