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| Half Moon Bay Airport getting new weather station, beacon By MATT KAPKO Published/Last Modified on Wednesday, June 30, 2004 4:57 PM PDT Half Moon Bay Review The Half Moon Bay Airport has preliminarily been awarded a $186,200 grant for a new, 24-hour weather station and beacon. Aviation-related fees from the Federal Aviation Administration help fund the grant, which is administered by the Department of Transportation. The grant is still pending final approval by the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, and once that goes through, construction should being sometime in 2005, said San Mateo County Airport Manager Mark Larson. The new weather station will provide 24-hour, live weather reports to pilots. The reports will be transmitted on the aviation band and go into the FAA's weather system information mainframe computer. It will also be available through a phone line. "It's all automated and automatic," Larson said. "It's a nice safety upgrade for pilots coming to the area." Currently, pilots looking for weather information have to seek a live person at the airport by calling them directly during normal business hours - anytime outside those hours and the pilots are essentially on their own. The beacon that is being replaced is on its last legs, according to Larson. He said the beacon is "badly corroded and in bad shape." The new beacon is expected to improve visibility of the airport for pilots. "Given the important role that the Half Moon Bay Air- port plays in relieving other regional airports of smaller plane traffic, this development significantly enhances the region's security," said Congressman Tom Lantos (D-San Mateo, San Francisco). "And in case of sudden fog or inclement weather, this technology will be especially useful for safe flying along the coast." |