Saturday, November 5, 2011 10:53 am

 $2.24 million for Automated Weather Observation Systems

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Nov. 3, 2011) – Governor Steve Beshear today announced the planned installation of new weather detection technology – Automated Weather Observation Systems or AWOS – to improve safety at 14 Kentucky airports.

“These new systems will increase flying safety near each of the airports served by this technology,” Gov. Beshear said.                                                        

With AWOS, aircraft can receive weather information at altitudes up to 10,000 feet and distances up to 25 nautical miles from each installation.

The airports were selected for AWOS upgrades based on recent inspections of existing airport weather observation systems.

“Most of the selected airports have systems that are becoming increasingly difficult to maintain due to a lack of replacement parts and support service,” said Department of Aviation Commissioner Winn Turney. “We’ve decided to move ahead with the AWOS upgrades before these systems fail.”

The 14 airports are:

·        Lake Barkley State Resort Park Airport, Cadiz

·        Danville-Boyle County Airport, Danville

·        Elizabethtown Regional Airport, Elizabethtown

·        Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park Airport, Gilbertsville

·        Muhlenberg County Airport, Greenville

·        Ohio County Airport, Hartford

·        Wendell H. Ford Airport, Hazard

·        Big Sandy Regional Airport, Prestonsburg

·        Marion-Crittenden County Airport, Marion

·        Mayfield-Graves County Airport, Mayfield

·        Middlesboro-Bell County Airport, Middlesboro

·        Mount Sterling-Montgomery County Airport, Mount Sterling

·        Morehead-Rowan County Airport, Morehead

·        Sturgis Municipal Airport, Sturgis

Each installation costs approximately $160,000. Department of Aviation funds will be used to implement the systems. “We consider the $2.24 million necessary to fund AWOS an important safety investment,” Turney said.

AWOS implementation is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2012.