Kerrville-Kerr County Airport announces plan for limited aircraft access during eclipse
The Kerrville-Kerr County Airport (KERV) announced today its plan for limited aircraft access and operations during the upcoming total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.
The local area will be a popular destination for many visitors due to Kerr County being in the "path of totality" where the eclipse can be viewed at its peak for the longest amount of time.
As such, the airport said it has received a substantial number of inquiries from aircraft owners and operators expressing interest in using the airport in connection to their travel plans.
To begin gauging the level of interest in attending the event, airport leaders began their planning for the event with an online pilot questionnaire.
Subsequently, there were many meetings held between the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), City of Kerrville, and Kerr County leaders and first responders in order to better understand the options that would be available to help Kerrville Aviation, the local Fixed Base Operator (FBO), manage ground operations leading up to and during the eclipse.
KERV is a non-towered airport. The FAA has indicated that the local airport will remain a non-towered facility for the event.
However, recognizing the limited ground operations capacity, the airport has adopted a Prior Permission Required (PPR) Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) framework that will require non-based aircraft to obtain written permission prior to landing, taking off or taxiing on the airport.
A PPR NOTAM is typically used at events expected to draw a significant influx of transient aircraft. (The Super Bowl is an example of such an event.)
The PPR NOTAM at KERV will be in effect from noon on Friday, April 5, to 2:30 p.m. on Monday, April 8.
At this time, the airport is no longer accepting applications for access during the PPR NOTAM period. Inquiries for access to KERV are being referred to the many other airports in the area.
A list of other airports is included in the FAA’s Letter to Airmen # LTA-ZHU-8, linked on the airport’s main webpage (www.kerrvilleairport.com).
Up to date information on the PPR NOTAM process, airport operations including videos on access and operations from the airport manager, and important information from Kerrville Aviation, the FBO, can be accessed at www.kerrvilleairport.com and www.kerrvilleaviation.com, respectively.