What’s up at the airport?
Published 5:20 pm Wednesday, March 19, 2014
by MARK ST.J. COUHIG
Sequim Gazette
Andy Sallee, president of Sequim Valley Airport, says the facility has seen a number of improvements over the past few months. Among them:
• New permanent, property easements are in place for the runway and other airport features. The new easements replace the former 50-year leases. Even though 23 years were left on the previous easements, “This helps ensure long-term protection for the runway and viability for the airport,” Sallee said.
• “After performing a lot of digging, paving, electrical and computer work, a new 24-hour credit card self-service fueling system is in place and operating,” Sallee said. “The new system is significantly boosting fuel sales.”
• New landing and user fees are boosting revenue. They “seem to be accepted by most pilots,” Sallee said.
• A new well drilled in June serves the airport office, as well as some of the on-site residential lots.
• Discovery Trail Farm, a residential development adjacent to the airport, is making additional upgrades to the 13 available fly-in, fly-out lots. Two additional 20-acre parcels with runway access are for sale at the airport.
• The airport’s website was redesigned and overhauled in March. See www.sequimvalleyairport.com.
• A web camera was installed Oct. 1. Pilots can go online to view current weather conditions at the airport.
The webcam also has a time-lapse feature that allows video views of today, yesterday and the past seven days.
• Budget Rent A Car now offers rental cars at Sequim Valley Airport for fly-in pilots. Customers are picked up at the Sequim airport by Budget and transported to Port Angeles to do the paperwork. Cars can be dropped off at the Sequim airport.
• All runway lights have been repaired and replaced over the past 12 months.
• A new watchman is on duty at the airport.
