Latest airport upgrades completed

By Bob Rosenburgh, Staff Writer

STIGLER, Sept. 10 — This summer the city of Stigler completed a $452,000 upgrade of their municipal airport. According to City Manager James W. Smith, the project was undertaken to ensure the facility conformed to Federal Aviation Administration requirements.

“The runway was about 3,200 to 3,400 feet, so we extended it to 4,000,” he explained. “It needed to be lengthened, but it also has to be at least 4,000 feet to qualify for federal funds, anyway. That’s the FAA rule.”

Smith added that an additional system has been installed to enhance the airport’s pilot reporting information capabilities.

“Besides lengthening the runway, we put in an AWOS system, which is a weather detection system that allows a pilot to check out the weather while they’re in the air.” The Automated Weather Observing System uses a central processor that receives input from multiple sensors. Data from the AWOS is voice synthesized to provide a weather report that can be transmitted by VHF radio, NDB, or VOR, providing pilots on approach with up-to-date airport weather conditions.

The upgrades cost $452,000, paid for with federal grants.

“We had to match it at 5 percent, so we added about 22 grand,” Smith said.

The city recently put out a bid for airport engineers, not for any new projects, but rather to have qualified personnel already identified in advance when maintenance or repair at the field is needed.

“We do that every three years,” said Smith. “They keep track of our long range plans, too.”

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