More than a Windsock

Pilots currently have to rely on a windsock to help them land at the Ephraim-Gibraltar Airport. The Airport Commission would like to install an Automated Weather Observation system to give incoming pilots accurate, accessible information on local weather conditions. Photo by Len Villano.

Pilots flying into the Ephraim-Gibraltar Airport currently have to rely on outdated technology – a windsock – to know what way the wind is blowing.

But next year, airport commissioners hope to get in line for installation of an Automated Weather Observation (AWO) system to give incoming pilots accurate, accessible information on local weather conditions.

“The big issue is safety,” said John Neville, an airport commissioner at the Ephraim-Gibraltar airport. “When you’re coming into an airport you want to know what the weather is, and you want to have accurate knowledge of the weather – and right now we don’t have that.”

Pilots that fly into the Ephraim-Gibraltar airport now have to rely on information from nearby airports that have the AWO system, like Sturgeon Bay and Manitowoc, then check the windsock at the Ephraim-Gibraltar airport.

“The weather in Sturgeon Bay and Marinette might be identical, but when you get to Ephraim-Gibraltar it might be different,” Neville said.

At the Ephraim board meeting on July 9, airport commissioner Marty Franke said AWO system technology is reliable, easy to maintain and easy to access. The system would be under warranty for the first year, and maintenance costs are usually picked up by the Bureau of Aeronautics.

As for the cost of the equipment at the outset, federal and state grants would pay for about 95 percent of the cost of implementing an AWO system, leaving about $6,000 to be raised.

The Friends of the Ephraim-Gibraltar airport committed to raising $4,000 toward the cost of installing the AWO system, and Franke said in one day of fundraising the group raised $3,000. By July 16 had raised $4,100.

“If the Friends raise more money I guess they’re committed to donating even more than the $4,000 they’ve committed to,” Franke said.

The remaining costs would hopefully be picked up by the Town of Gibraltar and the Village of Ephraim.

“[This system] is going to increase safety at the airport and it’s going to decrease some of the traffic flying over the airport looking at the windsock,” Franke said. “This is tremendously popular in the pilot community.”

A new weather system wouldn’t just be a boon for pilots who want to fly into the airport, according to Jim Ehnert, a pilot and member of the Friends of the Ephraim-Gibraltar Airport. He said the system would be good for local business, too, because pilots will be more inclined to land, stay, eat and shop in the area if it’s easier to land.

The Airport Commission must hold a public hearing before making a formal request for the AWO system. The meeting has not yet been scheduled.