PORT TOWNSEND — A 30-foot tower has been erected for an automated weather system at Jefferson County International Airport, but the system won’t be functional until at least the end of January.
“We initially hoped it would be working by now in order to help Santa out,” said Jim Pivarnik, Port of Port Townsend deputy director.
“We got the tower up this week but we are still waiting for FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] approval, and that won’t happen until next month,” he added.
The $308,000 Automated Weather Observation Station (AWOS) at the airport six miles south of Port Townsend will provide local weather data to pilots who seek to land at the airport.
The AWOS system also will provide real-time data to the National Weather Service and provide more accurate information about local weather conditions to commercial outlets such as newspapers, the Internet, radio and television.
“When you see a TV weather map, Port Townsend is never included,” said Bill Putney, an engineer who is volunteering his time as project manager.
“When the AWOS is installed, more accurate forecasts will be available and the information will be available on TV.”
The information will be presented along with other regional airports that have installed AWOS systems, those in Port Angeles, Bremerton, Shelton and Whidbey Island.
Putney said the presence of local weather data on news channels and weather websites would act as an advertisement for the area because Port Townsend has a “fairly deep blue hole” that makes it a more hospitable landing point when surrounding airports may be suffering heavy weather.
Putney said that the tower is now in place with wiring completed.
The next step is the installation of monitoring equipment which requires the presence of an FAA representative to supervise the process.
Putney said the FAA hasn’t finalized a date for its visit but that it would be in late January.
Shortly after then, the station would become operational, he said.
The tower, which is situated in between the airport’s two 3,000 foot runways, received its final electrical inspection on Wednesday from Michael Anderson from the state Department of Labor and Industry.
The FAA will pay for 90 percent of the project. Another 5 percent will come from the Aviation Division of the state Department of Transportation.
The port’s out-of-pocket cost is $15,412.
“Putney said he could not say exactly how much his efforts saved the Port but that the amount was substantial.
“Having someone here to take direction lowered the cost and increased efficiency,” he said.
He said that the project “initially had a pretty hefty price tag.
“I volunteered because I wanted to see this get done.”
The port spent $118,000 to pull the system together, including digging a 500-foot trench to carry power to the middle of the runway.
Putney, who is a retired engineer, also supervised the construction of the KPTZ-FM broadcasting tower.
He ran for the District 2 Port of Port Townsend commissioner position in 2013 but was eliminated in the primary.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
