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Ocean Shores airport committee green-lights Century West AWOS predesign; Life Flight says GPS approach would aid helicopters
Summary
The Ocean Shores Municipal Airport committee agreed to proceed with Century West’s AWOS siting and predesign work (contract $34,450; city share about $3,450 after expected 90% reimbursement) and discussed adding a GPS approach that Life Flight Network says could allow helicopter landings in lower minimums (as low as 200 feet and quarter‑mile visibility).
The Ocean Shores Municipal Airport committee on Dec. 8 agreed to move forward with Century West’s siting and predesign work for an automated weather observation system (AWOS), a step committee members said is intended to improve safety and enable instrument (GPS) approaches that could help helicopters and other aircraft land in low-visibility conditions.
City Administrator Scott Anderson said Century West signed an agreement Dec. 5 and the contractor’s services cost $34,450; Anderson said the city expects to be reimbursed for about 90 percent of that amount, leaving an estimated city share of roughly $3,450. "It costs $34,450," Anderson said when summarizing the contract and next steps.
The AWOS work will begin with a siting phase to evaluate potential locations on airport property that meet siting and turbulence-avoidance requirements. Members flagged FAA guidance and minimum siting clearances and asked Century West to confirm that a suitably sized site exists before the city invests further. Committee discussion referenced FAA guidance cited in Century West’s materials (transcript text of the FAA citations was unclear in the record).
Committee members also discussed whether installing AWOS equipment would support a GPS approach. Ron DeBoer reported contacting Kyle Manning at Life Flight; Anderson read Manning’s emailed reply saying Life Flight’s aircraft, including helicopters, can use GPS approaches and that they "are able to use GPS approaches in all of our aircraft ... including the helicopters" with minimums "as low as 200 feet and a quarter statute mile visibility." Anderson said an AWOS III (P/T) installation would provide the surface weather information Life Flight and similar operators rely on to execute approaches in lower minima.
Anderson said Century West will handle the siting and predesign work and that staff will take the contract and related materials to the city council for formal authorization. He also noted upcoming grant and environmental work tied to the project: Century West was completing environmental determinations needed to close grant work, with some grant closeout paperwork due Dec. 15 and a later design grant deadline (May 1) mentioned for design-phase grant applications.
Members asked staff to include the city’s emergency operations director, Mike Mandela, and other emergency planners as the project proceeds so helicopter-landing capabilities can be integrated into local evacuation planning. Anderson said he will confirm the most up-to-date airport layout map with Century West and ensure that any siting constraints are identified early.
The committee did not take a final funding vote at the meeting; staff will present the Century West contract and final recommended action to the city council for approval. The committee set a tentative next meeting for March 17 at 11:00 a.m.
