The Fairmont Hot Springs Airport is getting a $48,688 grant from the B.C. government to upgrade its weather monitoring system.
“The equipment we’re getting is called an AWOS, which stands for automated weather observation service. Pilots can tune into its frequency or make a phone call to get weather information,” said Tex Deagnon, Fairmont Hot Springs Airport director of operations.
“The grant we’re getting is to help install ceiling height detection. In other words, if the clouds are 300 feet above ground, AWOS will transmit that information at the same time as the temperature, wind and all other weather conditions.”
Funding for the upgrades comes from the B.C. government’s Air Access Program.
“We’re supporting upgrades to airports that will improve access for vital communities across our province,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Transportation and Transit.
“These improvements to our rural and regional airports will help keep British Columbians connected and our economy on the move.”
Deagnon says the new weather detection equipment should be up and running this summer.
“It will be very critical to have this system in the wintertime, because that’s when we have the most low cloud coverage floating around,” said Deagnon.
“The people who would use that most are the medevac folks. They like to know the ceiling height and all the other information.”
The airport is commonly used by tourists, medical teams and wildfire fighters.
“We have space for a whole bunch of helicopters to come in in case there is a fire,” said Deagnon.
“We are available at any time for wildfire service because we have the space, fuel and other resources. Of course, nobody wants a fire, but we are available to support the Wildfire Service.”
The Fairmont Hot Springs Airport’s grant is part of a $6.2 million funding program split across 16 airport upgrades across the province.
“From wildfire suppression to air-ambulance operations, from high-value tourism to connecting Indigenous and rural communities within our province and beyond, the B.C. Air Access Program supports our economy and society,” said Cathy Press, chair, BC Aviation Council.
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