Volunteer pilots train for natural disaster missions in Watsonville

Volunteer pilots with the Watsonville Emergency Airlift Command Team, or WEACT, held exercise drills at the municipal airport in Watsonville on Saturday.

As part of the exercises, WEACT simulated an earthquake in the Santa Cruz mountains that severely damages county roads, which means emergency personnel on the ground cannot get help to certain areas.

“We are going to pick up a simulated box of medical supplies or whatever you might want to call it, this is just a simulation of a big disaster,” said Jim Christmann, a volunteer pilot who was flying practice missions that day.

An all volunteer crew on the ground makes sure everything keeps running smoothly at the Flight Operations headquarters.

“They keep track of how many pilots they have, how much each airplane can hold, what its range is, what kind of operation can they fly under,” said Marjorie Bachman, the incident commander for WEACT.

WEACT uses tiny planes: two to four seaters. It limits what pilots can carry at a time, but the large number of volunteer aviators ensures they can get the job done.

Depending on how many roads and bridges are destroyed in the event of an emergency like a fire, an earthquake or a major flooding, WEACT will be sending multiple planes to and from places that need it the most. They will get doctors and emergency supplies to those who need it.

Christmann says he loves the beautiful back countries in Santa Cruz County, and he realizes the area needs pilots like him in the event of an emergency.

“I think in 1989 the airport really threw in a lot of important medical supplies and doctors because there was no other way in for a few days,” he said. That’s why I’m participating, that’s why I think this is a good exercise.”