Mt. Hood Skibowl Enhances Guest Safety With AirFlare Search Platform

As the winter season gets underway, Mt. Hood Skibowl is taking a significant step forward in guest safety by adopting the AirFlare search platform, an advanced safety tool designed to support ski patrol in assisting guests in need. This cutting-edge technology offers a robust solution that helps locate and communicate with lost or injured guests, even in difficult terrain or low-signal areas, facilitating quicker response times and enhancing the overall safety of everyone on the mountain.

Why Mt. Hood Skibowl Chose AirFlare

“We’re always looking for ways to improve guest safety and the efficiency of our patrol operations," said Guy Catlin, Ski Patrol Director at Mt. Hood Skibowl. "AirFlare stood out as an invaluable tool that significantly cuts down search times and allows our team to respond quickly and effectively in emergencies. Guests come to Mt. Hood Skibowl to have fun and enjoy the outdoors, and knowing that we can quickly locate and assist someone in need with AirFlare adds an extra layer of confidence for both our staff and our visitors."

AirFlare Peer-to-Peer Capabilities

In addition to being a powerful tool for ski patrol, AirFlare’s peer-to-peer feature allows families and friends to keep track of each other while exploring the mountain or during any outdoor adventure. This additional feature enhances the feeling of safety for groups, ensuring that they can locate one another quickly in the event of separation or need.

About the AirFlare App

AirFlare is an app that turns mobile phones into rescue locators, helping ski patrol teams quickly pinpoint a guest’s location, even in challenging terrain or low-connectivity areas. Importantly, guests don’t need to have the app downloaded to be located. In cases where the AirFlare app isn’t installed, ski patrol can send an SMS link to a guest’s phone, allowing them to share their precise location instantly.

AirFlare Saves Lives

AirFlare is credited for saving lives, including an Idaho skier who got lost in the fog at Soldier Mountain in Southern Idaho at the end of the day and wound up out of bounds. She phoned the resort’s front office to report herself lost and a staff member sent her a text message with a hyperlink to the AirFlare app, which she was able to download. With the help of AirFlare, ski patrollers pinpointed her on the map and broke trail through at least 2 feet of fresh, wet snow for nearly two hours to get her out.

Visit airflare.com/life-save for more details about the rescue.

“Mishaps can happen to anyone at any time — sometimes it’s weather, lack of preparedness, or just bad luck,” AirFlare inventor, founder, and CEO Eliot Gillum said. “But AirFlare is serious protection that everyone can have on them all the time. Research shows more than 90 percent of people bring their phone with them on outdoor activities.”

Special Offer for Mt. Hood Skibowl Guests

For the 2024-2025 season, Mt. Hood Skibowl is offering its season pass holders a free annual subscription to the AirFlare app, providing them with an essential tool for mountain safety that extends far beyond the resort—whether hiking, camping, or biking, AirFlare offers protection and connectivity for all outdoor experiences. Other guests can also benefit from free trials of the app during the season.

Affordable Subscription Plans for AirFlare App Users

• AirFlare makes safety accessible to everyone with affordable subscription plans for the app, which extends beyond the ski area.
  Users can download AirFlare on the Apple App Store or Google Play.
• AirFlare offers many valuable features for free. The core locator functionality is supported by an annual subscription, which is currently $4.99, or a lifetime purchase for $14.99.
• Family plans, which include purchases and subscriptions for either five or 10 additional people, cost between $8.99 annually and $48.99 one time.
• Some ski areas offer it free to season passholders. Visit airflare.com for a list of participating mountains and other details.

This affordable pricing ensures that families and individuals alike can enjoy the benefits of enhanced safety while on the mountain or engaging in other outdoor activities.