US: Here’s how America’s airports are preparing for the eclipse

Beatrice Municipal Airport, nestled in the southeast corner of the farm-dotted state of Nebraska, normally gets a flight or two an hour. On Monday, because it’s located directly within the band of the sun’s total eclipse, US aviation officials installed a temporary air-traffic tower to handle as many as 200 planes expected to land there. "It’s probably the largest amount of traffic and aircraft that we’ve seen in one day," said Diana Smith, the airport manager. The US FAA has taken steps to keep up with expected high demand for eclipse viewers as well as ensuring that things like scientific balloons don’t interfere with flight paths. The agency installed four temporary air-traffic "towers" at airports in Oregon and Nebraska, including Beatrice, that are considered prime spots for viewing the eclipse. It also installed temporary radio equipment in Des Moines, Iowa, to support the effort. The agency is also issuing eclipse-specific notices to pilots to accommodate unusual activity in the skies Monday. The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration, in conjunction with researchers and colleges across the country, is launching almost 100 high-altitude balloons with camera and sensor packages to study the sun during the eclipse, and the agency needs to make sure they don’t come near high-altitude airline flight tracks.<br/>