Anderson airport ready for day in spotlight hosting eclipse watch party

Mar. 28—ANDERSON — The staff at the Anderson Municipal Airport has experience hosting big events, including an annual air show and Fourth of July fireworks.

But the total solar eclipse on April 8 will provide a singular test of their collaborative abilities.

The airport will be the epicenter of the county's eclipse activities, with thousands of people expected to pour onto the property for a day-long celebration.

For a facility accustomed to hosting, on average, about 100 visitors a day, it promises to be a day unlike any other.

"We've been talking about this for a year, since April of last year," said Brian McMillen, the airport manager. "We've met with the Emergency Management Agency, we've met with Anderson Police Department, Chesterfield Police Department — so all the departments have kind of gotten together and shared what they remember from hosting other big events."

McMillen and his staff — as well as government officials across the county — have put several plans in place to account for logistical challenges. The main contingency they're hoping to account for is traffic, especially the potential for gridlock immediately after the eclipse ends. Anderson's three minutes and 42 seconds of totality is expected to begin at approximately 3:07 p.m.

Airport coordinator Rose Aspinall said organizers are hoping to create what she called "a tailgating atmosphere" where spectators can arrive early and make it a day-long activity.

"We want people to play games, and we think it'll be really nice to bring people together for a historic event," she said.

McMillen said at least eight food trucks will be on site, along with a disc jockey, a selfie station, T-shirt vendors and other activities — all of them designed, he said, to encourage people to hang around after daylight fully returns at about 4:30 p.m.

"Mostly we're just trying to have a nice get-together for folks," he said, "but we're trying to limit the influx of people hitting the roads right after the event."

The airport, with its large, open areas, ample parking and other amenities, emerged as an ideal location for what many believe will be a once-in-a-lifetime event, according to local business leaders. Officials with the Indiana Destination Development Corporation have estimated that up to 600,000 visitors could visit areas in the path of totality, which would place it among the largest one-day tourism events ever to happen in the state.

"We wanted to have a large-scale event that really highlighted an amenity in Madison County," said Clayton Whitson, president and CEO of the Madison County Chamber of Commerce. "The airport was a natural fit. Being able to get large crowds in and out efficiently, we really felt the airport is an excellent partner to have."

McMillen said flight traffic into and out of the airport on April 8 should be minimal. The airport is charging event fees for private aircraft of $100 for single-engine planes and $200 for twin-engines, which he said is likely to dissuade many planes from landing for the day.

"I don't think there's going to be much of an issue with that," he said. "We don't need, like, 90 airplanes showing up as that would just increase the danger to those (on the ground). Everyone is trying to be proactive on making things as safe as possible."

Follow Andy Knight on Twitter @Andrew_J_Knight, or call 765-640-4809.