Trail Regional Airport Receives funding for Automated Weather Observation System
By City of Trail
The City of Trail is pleased to announce the Trail Regional Airport (YZZ) will receive $65,000 in grant funding from the BC Air Access Program towards the purchase and installation of an Automated Weather Observation System (AWOS). The complete system will cost $90,000 and the City will fund the remaining $25,000 as part of the City’s approved 2020 Capital Budget.
“The installation of an AWOS at YZZ will provide tremendous value for the airport and our partners, including Pacific Coastal Airlines, BC Air Ambulance Service, Interior Health, and the Trail Flying Club,” said Robert Baker, Trail Regional Airport Manager. “An AWOS provides continuous real-time weather reporting and the precise height of the cloud level using a device called a ceilometer. During inclement weather, the cloud level at YZZ determines whether or not a flight will take off or land. The pilots and grounds crew will be able to use the accurate data from the ceilometer to make a decision, whereas the current procedure requires pilots to judge a flight’s status based on a visual interpretation of the area’s cloud level and current weather reporting.”
The AWOS also includes a visibility sensor, a dual barometric pressure sensor, a temperature and dew point gauge, a heated ultrasonic wind sensor, and a multi-channel communication radio. All of these components play a crucial role in the system for accurate information and data.
“We’ve already issued a Request for Proposal for the AWOS, with a closing date of October 7, 2020,” said Baker. “We plan to have the system in place and functioning by December 1, 2020, which is perfect timing for the winter season. Also, at that point, we will most likely see an increase in passenger flights out of YZZ as Pacific Coastal Airlines recently announced that flight service between Trail and Vancouver will increase to eight flights weekly starting October 4, 2020.”
