Taking off and landing at the Salida Airport-Harriet Alexander Field (KANK) got a lot safer this past week. That’s because as of this past Thursday, the new airport weather station is up and running.
The new Salida Airport weather station or AWOS (Airport Weather Observation System) by former military supplier Mesotech, is state of the art. Courtesy image.
“It will help people land safer at our airport, have a better idea of conditions in the air and at the airport,” said Chaffee Commissioner P.T. Wood, who represents the Chaffee BoCC on the Salida Airport Board.
The new weather station, officially known as an AWOS (which stands for Airport Weather Observation System), is state-of-the-art.
“We’re the first airport in Colorado to get this new type of equipment,” said Airport Manager Zech Papp proudly, referencing what is officially an AWOS IIIPT.
“It was commissioned on Thursday, January 11. That’s when the FAA inspector came out with the tech and they certified the readings and verified the radio frequency. Preparation went into where to place it — the height of the wind sensors and gauges.”
“Our old AWOS was installed in the 90’s,” explained Papp. “Most of our equipment was at its end of life, and the cost of maintaining it was growing. The AWOS is what provides all the data to the pilots flying in and out and all the current data to the weather stations and to NOAA [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration].
The FAA certified the new Salida Airport weather station on Thursday, Jan. 11. The station has been relocated to meet new height standards. Courtesy image
Papp explained that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) paid for the parts and installation, and the airport was responsible for putting in the power infrastructure to the new AWOS location. The old location was nonstandard — too low for modern standards — and was set between two buildings.
But Papp said it was the continuous equipment failures that plagued it that worried him. “Over the past few years, we had sensors failing on our old unit. Last year our wind sensor failed. That’s a $20,000 item … many parts were at the end of life and this new system is pretty much a brand new top-of-the-line AWOS.”
Papp chuckled explaining that if he were to say to the community “We got a new AWOS”, they wouldn’t know what I was talking about, or why it is so important, but they should.”
“When you realize how much data this unit provides to pilots and weather stations, and to NOAA, it’s huge,” he explained, adding that sometimes its a matter of life and death.
“It’s critical for example when our wind sensor went down on our old AWOS, certain pilots like a Flight for Life aircraft couldn’t fly into Salida. They have to know the current weather conditions to land according to their company guidelines. You have to get the best data to them possible.”
The newly installed AWOS is a significant leap in aviation safety and efficiency, offering pilots instant access to crucial weather data via radio, telephone, or internet and Mesotech does continuous remote monitoring. General aviation airports like Salida Airport – Harriet Alexander Field are vital for activities including aerial firefighting, emergency response, business travel, and connecting remote regions, thereby playing an indispensable role in Colorado’s economic and transportation network
Pilots and aviation enthusiasts can now obtain real-time weather information from Harriet Alexander Field Airport through the user-friendly web application, AWOS Live, accessible at KANK.AWOS.LIVE.
The new Salida Airport weather has been relocated to meet new height and obstruction standards. Courtesy image
More Airport Upgrades to Come
Papp said that he and the Salida Airport Board review the capital improvement plan for the airport every single year working with both the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the FAA.
“We look at our airport needs and our funding needs from CDOT or the FAA, to start taking care of these projects. I’ve been working on this for nine years, and since I started, it’s the last three years where we’ve made headway.”
While this new AWOS is a huge relief to have completed, Papp says that the next thing on the project list is the airport’s above-ground fuel farm.
“We just got the $1 million DOLA grant for the fuel farm with a $1.2M local match to replace the entire new fuel farm out here. Those tanks were single-walled and installed in 1975. We do underground monitoring and that only tells me there has been a leak – not how much or where. We sure don’t want any fuel leaks into the river.”
He adds that the airport has gotten another $314,000 grant from CDOT for design and environmental study for the extension of the taxiway. “Then next year we have another $2.4 million to come in for grants to do the extension.”
In the meantime, Papp is delighted with the new weather center and touts its accessibility and capabilities.
“Our old AWOS system was hard to access but this one has a website that takes you directly to our new AWOS. This is exciting stuff.”
Recent Comments