Although summer weather may just be appearing, seasonal construction is already underway at King County International Airport (KCIA). Every year, the airport performs regular maintenance on stormwater systems, electrical systems, pavement, and pavement markings. This summer, there are several capital improvement projects including Phase 1 of the Large Aircraft Parking project and runway pavement assessments. Plans also include finishing up work on the terminal building and renovating the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flight service station building. Altogether, maintenance and Capital Improvement projects total nearly $15 million.
With the airport’s proximity to the Duwamish River, maintaining the stormwater system is an annual priority.
“We’ll always be doing repairs and line cleanups every summer,” said Mohamed Nimeri, Managing Engineer at KCIA.
Stormwater pipes will be repaired and stormwater facilities (oil water separators, vaults, and treatment systems) will be cleaned, including removing and disposing sediments offsite.
Stormwater lines, catch basins, and manholes will be inspected by video.
Pavement rehabilitation, specifically replacing cracked concrete panels, is scheduled for late summer, Nimeri said. The Main Runway Pavement Markings also will be repainted.
“The other big projects are the airfield electrical,” Nimeri said. “That will be happening late in the season, toward the fall to the winter, but it’s a big effort.”
Electrical work includes installation of in-pavement runway guard lights and an Airfield Lighting Control Monitoring System.
The Fences and Gates project is also being revisited, due to a new project manager.
“That picked up a lot of community attention,” Nimeri said.
The work includes developing design alternatives and re-engaging with the community.
Phase 1 of the Large Aircraft Parking Project continues. Demolition of the Arrivals Building is complete. Pavement work resumed in May and will continue until end of August. Phase 2 of the project, construction of large aircraft parking ramp, has been paused at the 90 percent design milestone after the loss of FAA funding. Phase 2 will be reconsidered with an alternative funding approach.
The former Kenmore Maintenance Hangars were demolished recently, KCIA will be redeveloping the site for aircraft parking. The photo above shows demolition underway.
Improvements to the terminal building, including reconfiguring the VIP room and modifying restroom doors, are scheduled for completion in July.
“It’s an effort that we started in February to remodel certain office spaces at the main terminal and some of the restrooms on the ground floor of the terminal to be ADA compliant and perform some improvements on the terminal building egress system,” Nimeri explained.
Among the updates, the FAA flight services building will undergo significant upgrades to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. That work will continue through the end of the year.
Lastly, the UPS contractor will build “gates” 8 and 9 that will revert to KCIA in 2024.
|
|
The Boeing Seafair Air Show is back! Seafair weekend, scheduled for August 5-7, will include the Air Show, featuring the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. This year, plans are in the works for the Blue Angels to use King County International Airport (KCIA) as their base.
Check out the Seafair airshow website and watch for more details as the date gets closer.
Photo: The Blue Angels zoom in formation in 2019. The air show resumes this year after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19.
|
|
 |
 |
|
A rare sight in the skies anywhere, a B-29 bomber flew in and out of KCIA on May 20-21. The Museum of Flight offered tours and flights on the bomber, designed by Boeing.
B-29s were used for high-altitude, long distance flights, including the ones that dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan during World War II.
|
A first-person account by Barbara Ramey, Deputy Communications Manager, DES
I’m not a firefighter, but for half a day recently, I was dressed like one and got closer to a burning airplane fuselage mock-up than most civilians would ever hope to. I’m not a pyromaniac, but it was a fascinating day!
 On May 20, seven firefighters with King County Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF), along with Chief Greg Thomas and I, spent several hours at “Live Fire” at Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake. Another seven went on May 24. Live Fire is an annual training required by the Federal Aviation Administration, and firefighters must complete a series of hands-on exercises in smoke and fire situations with real and simulated aircraft.
 They must pass these drills to receive certification:
- Handline Operations
- Aircraft Search and Rescue
- Aircraft Door Operations and
- Truck Operations.
I was there to observe, learn and take photos. My role wasn’t nearly as tough as the firefighters’ training, but I still got a taste of what it was like.
The most exciting part of the training for me to watch was the “handline operations” practice. Groups of four firefighters practiced lugging hoses toward a simulated airplane referred to as “the prop,” designed after a 737. They doused the flames with water, foam and dry chemicals. All the materials went into a special drain under the prop for proper environmental treatment.
The firefighters all wear “bunker gear,” heavy protective clothing over t-shirts and shorts or pants. Their gear includes a fabric head covering, helmet, gloves, a tank of filtered air and a mask. Firefighter gear weighs 50 to 60 pounds. Thankfully, I wasn’t required to carry the heavy tank but I couldn’t enter the smoke-filled real jet, a Convair 400, used for search and rescue. Firefighters practiced search and rescue in simulated conditions that blocked their vision with “Halloween smoke.” They wear motion-sensing devices that start making noise if they stop moving, for example, if they become unconscious.
They also learned how to open airplane doors, not just from the inside, but from the outside, a rather tricky feat given the height of a commercial airliner. Another challenge is that the emergency chute can deploy as soon as the door is opened from the outside, potentially knocking a firefighter off a ladder.
One of the requirements for the “Truck Operations” drill was for each firefighter to drive a fire engine, after being “dispatched” to the scene of a simulated airplane crash, and to spray the burning “plane” with water and foam. Firefighters also had to fill up the fire engine tank with water before being dispatched to each scenario.
This presented some unpredictable challenges. When filling up the engine, water was gushing out from underneath. A faulty valve was the culprit, and someone had to quickly diagnose and solve the problem. While not part of the official training, it added some realism to the exercise. In addition, the fire engine used at the training was different than the ones at KCIA, so firefighters had to familiarize themselves with the controls for the nozzles that spray massive amounts of water.
Maneuvering and aiming the nozzles requires practice as well. I was in the fire engine jump seat when I observed an accidental spray of water onto the scene. Thankfully, (or perhaps not?), it didn’t get anyone wet.
Firefighting is hot and demanding, physically and mentally. Even though the weather in Moses Lake was relatively cool for May, not topping 70 degrees, we all sweated through the clothing we wore under the bunker gear. We also guzzled water during breaks. As an observer, I wasn’t nearly as close to the flames as the firefighters, but still, I was sweltering at times. More than once, a searing wave of heat came towards me, forcing me to back up and turn around to protect my face.
Observing the Live Fire training gave me a first-hand opportunity to appreciate the rigorous training that our ARFF firefighters go through. As an airplane passenger, I’m also grateful for trained airport firefighters if they need to respond to a medical or fire emergency aboard an aircraft. All ARFF firefighters are trained medics, firefighters and sheriff’s deputies, and they’re prepared for many types of emergencies.
 Above, left to right: Master Police Officer (MPO) Jason Brown, Deputy Joe Emrick, Chief Greg Thomas, Barbara Ramey, MPO Ron Darnall, Deputy Jesse Sorrells, Deputy Ben Johnson, Sgt. Brian Angelo, Deputy Steve Williams
Starting this month, Airport Roundtable meetings will be held in person as well as on Zoom. The Roundtable makes recommendations to the airport’s administrators, the King County Executive, and the King County Council. The board meets on the second Monday of each month at 5 p.m.
For those interested in attending in person, the meetings will be held:
110 Conference Room
Terminal
7277 Perimeter Road South
Seattle, WA 98108
For the first time, students from Raisbeck Aviation High School worked together with King County International Airport (KCIA) on their required “capstone” project, which airport staff evaluated recently.
“They like to work with industry partners for each of their projects, it exposes them to industry problems,” said Eric Miller, capital project manager at KCIA.
The tenth graders focused on a stormwater project.
“All of our stormwater goes into the Duwamish,” he added. “It seemed like a great opportunity to expose them to the environmental issues and the indigenous aspects.”
The overall project took about a year, starting with meetings between airport staff and Raisbeck teachers. The project was the final aspect of a multi-phase engagement, including an airport tour, career showcase, hands-on activities and more. About eight or nine airport staff went to the school to participate in evaluation panels in May. Each of four groups watched and evaluated seven presentations, for a total of 28 presentations.
“The students really surprised us with the amount of work and quality that they were able to provide,” Miller said. “They were presenting full on project plans, some teams had engineering drawings, some had 3D printed models, and project management plans. It was all really impressive and speaks to the quality of students and staff they have there.”
“A lot of the students and teams developed an equity and social justice (ESJ) plan,” he added. “It was really fantastic, right in line with what we do at the airport.”
Raisbeck and KCIA have a longstanding relationship, which has brought students for airport visits and tours in the past. The school is just across East Marginal Way from the airport, making coordination and visits convenient.
“It’s been a very interesting and fruitful relationship we’ve had with them,” Miller said.
|
ARFF deputies Scott Tompkins and Ben Johnson graduated from the South King County Fire Training Consortium Academy on May 19. They earned these ratings: Fire Fighter 1, Fire Fighter 2, Hazmat Operations and EMT. Every ARFF deputy is an EMT.
Deputy Tompkins also was honored by receiving the “Chief’s Company Award." The award reads, “for being an all-around performer as selected by the Recruit Academy 13 Alpha Lead Instructors.” Deputy Tompkins is the second King County ARFF Recruit to earn this coveted award; Sgt. Brian Angelo was the first.
Congratulations!
Photo, left to right: Chief Greg Thomas, Deputy Scott Tompkins, Deputy Ben Johnson, Sgt. Brian Angelo, MPO Ron Darnall, Undersheriff Jesse Anderson.
|
|
Alec Chandler, at right, shoots a noise “banger.” Noise bangers can safely move wildlife away from the airport, helping protect air traffic without harming animals. Chandler, a fiscal specialist at KCIA, was attending the Washington Airport Management Association (WAMA) training held in Twisp May 9-11.
At KCIA, Airport Operations, Maintenance, and ARFF employees all receive annual training from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) on safe and effective wildlife hazard reporting and mitigation techniques.
|
|
 |
Several King County International Airport employees will attend the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) annual conference this month in Seattle. The conference takes place June 5 through June 8.
Did you receive this email from someone else? If so, subscribe today.
|
