KAWO - A Year in Review
2021 started much like 2020 ended, with the pandemic creating challenges virtually at every turn for everyone.
The Airport hosted the largest drive-through vaccine site in the state of Washington. Operations began in January and ramped up throughout the spring and into summer. At the peak, over five thousand people a day were being vaccinated. Department of Emergency Management demobilized the site in late June and early July, and the area is again returned to normal Airport operations.
In other pandemic news, the Airport coordinated with DART (Disaster Airlift Response Team) to be the hub for medical supplies and personal protection gear throughout the Northwestern states, serving tribes and other remote locations with much needed supplies. A huge thank you to all the pilots and volunteers, and especially to Carrera Hangars, who selflessly donated valuable hangar space for the operation. It’s these types of operations that are a vibrant reminder that local and general aviation airports and pilots serve as a valuable resource in times of need or disaster.
With the completion of the lighting project for 16/34 and Bravo Taxiway lighting and mill and overlay project, the Airport is one of only a handful of GA airports in the country that are completely LED lighted. The Airport added Pilot Controlled Lighting to the system that allows the lights to be used only when needed at night where previously the incandescent lights went on at dusk and burned all night.
The Airport received a federal grant that allowed the ops team to purchase a new vehicle. Growing demands and operation were a real challenge with the limited vehicles the Airport was operating.
Several pieces of art were installed around the Airport property over this last year. The works can be seen at the admin building and airport trail.
The Airport coordinated with the FAA to reclassify some properties adjacent to the Airport for long term rentals previously restricted to fifty years leasehold only. This reclassification allows the Airport to lease for longer periods of time making extensive building of commercial and light industrial more viable for investors. A quick look around the Airport and the region as a whole, and you can see the demand is great for this sort of development. The Airport's ability to lease these properties will help make for long term viability and financial solvency for the Airport for many many years to come.
This year, the Airport welcomed some new business to the community. Vashon Ranger Corporation moved their facility to AWO and is utilizing the empty Top Cub building while planning their own new facility to be built on the west side of the Airport.
Eviation located their facility to AWO as well, and are in the midst of building one of the first and definitely premier electric aircraft in the world. Eviation is planning their first flight soon and looks forward to successes at AWO with the advent of this new exciting aviation growth sector.
The Arlington Fly-In returned this summer with a modified event that proved to be a huge success! A drive-in event and social distancing without camping changed the way the event has been known for decades, however, that didn’t seem to affect the success of this time honored tradition at AWO. There were lots of happy faces.
