Blue Angels roar out of King County International for Seafair
 The Blue Angels join up to fly in formation, above, during a practice run before this weekend's airshow.
Below, the Blue Angels perform a walkdown after landing their jets.
The U.S. Navy Blue Angels are back at King County International Airport-Boeing Field for this year's Boeing Seafair Airshow, which begins today, August 4, and runs through the weekend. The Museum of Flight will have a viewing area throughout the show.
The Blue Angels will be parking on the airport's main terminal ramp again this year. Their parking area is a restricted area.
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 Above, the Blue Angels make a pass over the runway during yesterday's practice.
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The Customs Box will be relocated to the north side of the terminal. There will only be room for one business jet aircraft at that time, so pilots should anticipate longer than normal clearing times and potential delays on the taxiway.
The Terminal Building will be open only to those doing business at the airport or with one of the terminal tenants.
During the Blue Angels practice and performance, the airport will be inside the larger Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR). Pilots should check NOTAMs for details.
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Thunder Run uses KCIA as western hub for the first time
 King County International Airport – Boeing Field (KCIA) supported Thunder Run, an emergency exercise managed by a consortium of volunteer pilots and other groups, for the first time last month. KCIA served as one of the hubs west of the Cascade Mountains for the drill, which involved folks from all over Washington and Oregon.
“Thunder Run is a full multi-state and sometimes international response using general aviation to move supplies in Washington and Oregon with ties to California,” explained Sky Terry, one of the leaders for the West Coast General Aviation Response Plan who is also the Northwest representative for the Emergency Volunteer Air Corps (EVAC).
While this was the second Thunder Run, it was the first time KCIA served as a west coast “hub.”
“What we’re developing is multiple hub locations,” Terry said. “We train this way.”
Airport leaders stepped up to support Thunder Run when asked this year, in part, because of experience working with Disaster Airlift Response Teams (DART) at other airports.
“Renton and Boeing Field are probably the two most important airports for that during natural disasters,” said David Decoteau, KCIA deputy director, who previously worked at the Renton Municipal Airport. “It’s all about location. The airport is here to support the community during natural disasters.”
Before the weekend of the exercise, volunteers collected donated food and supplies in Bellingham and Walla Walla, Washington. Then, during the exercise, pilots flew in and out of Walla Walla, bringing the goods to hubs in western Washington and Oregon. Pilots then flew from the hubs to smaller communities that might otherwise be isolated after a disaster.
“If the big earthquake hits, all this goes in place. Whoever gets hit the hardest, gets the help,” Terry said.
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“We’re simulating a situation where there’s a major disaster, and all roads and highways are basically non-usable,” said Pat Courtney, Deputy Director of Operations for the Civil Air Patrol. “The only way to get to these isolated communities is by small general aviation airplanes which can get into small airfields that hopefully have not been damaged or larger airports where they only have a small portion of the runway usable.”
“The only way you can really prepare for that and minimize the amount of delay of getting critical supplies to communities is by going out and practicing it periodically,” Courtney said. “Practice makes perfect.”
Employees at KCIA had about three months to prepare to support the event. Maintenance staff moved heavy equipment to provide space ahead of the exercise. During the exercise, the airport provided space for volunteers and pilots to get out of the sun, along with tables and chairs. Maintenance cleaned restrooms and provided trash bags.
Alyssa Dean, Airport Duty Manager, coordinated the airport’s involvement for the July 8 event. That included communicating with the control tower during a busy All-Star weekend day. In total, 12 aircraft flew in for the emergency drill. More were expected, but as it would during a real disaster, weather took its toll. Still, the participation netted donations of food to area food banks and tested the volunteer network.
“Seeing the whole thing was impressive,” said Dean. “How efficient the Civil Air Patrol was, how fast the pilots were in and out, loading and unloading everything.”
“You have all these people who have just these single engine planes who fly because they love to fly,” Dean added. “They decide when there is an emergency they would get in their planes and step up before any funds are available. I think that’s amazing.”
The exercise is a volunteer-run operation, with participation by the Emergency Volunteer Air Corps (EVAC), Disaster Airlift Response Teams (DART), the West Coast General Aviation Response Plan and the Civil Air Patrol.
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F35s, dozens of private aircraft in town for MLB All-Star week
 The players in town for the Major League Baseball All-Star week weren't the only ones strutting their stuff. Four Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter jets took off from King County Airport for their stadium flyover. The F-35s joined dozens of private charters and other aircraft that flew in and out of KCIA for the festivities in early July.
Welcome new interns
Several new interns have joined the airport. Learn more about them, below. Quotes have been edited for brevity.
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Ian Chong, Undergraduate Engineering Intern
School: University of Washington
"My current personal goal is to stay in touch with as many people that I've met traveling while my career related goals are to learn as much about the application of my studies and start to develop my professional network."
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Zach Hoffman, Data and Equipment Intern, Innovation Section
School: Seattle Central Community College
"I have been enjoying the ability to peer behind the scenes of how airports operate and how Business Information Management is used within an airport setting. I’ve also enjoyed supporting all the other departments here by assisting with low-level tech problems."
"I am thankful for all the varying experiences I’ve gotten to see firsthand, including Airport Operations and ARFF. As I’m moving forward with my Associates degree and in the IT field, I’m hoping to be able to improve the business processes already in place and make a more streamlined system for all sorts of users in all fields."
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Paanshul Jarrel, Environmental Science Graduate Intern
School: University of Washington
"With respect to this internship, I am looking forward to working as a construction/environmental engineer, gaining hands on experience on the ins and outs of the civil/construction industry. I am extremely excited about getting to know the environmental impact an airport has on its surroundings and how these parameters can be altered/improved. I currently enjoy going on field and soaking in the daily functioning of an airport, seeing the planes up close in person will never not be exciting and interesting to me."
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Anders McAllister, Operations Intern
School: University of Washington
"I’m very excited to be joining the airport ops team as an intern! In my junior year of high school, I decided to begin working towards my private pilot certificate at Galvin Flying here on the field. After graduation, I began working at the airport as a Line Technician at Modern. I enjoy flying around the Pacific Northwest, and am excited to continue working towards more certificates and ratings!
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Rishi Rastogi, External Relations Intern
School: University of Washington
"I am studying information systems and data science. My favorite part of the internship so far has been working on organizing upcoming airport events including the FOD Walk and Blue Angels employee event."
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Aafreen Tejani, Capital Planning and Monitoring intern
School: University of Washington, Evans School of Public Policy and Governance
"I am excited to learn more about airport management and how my knowledge of public policy, planning and evaluation can be used to create a monitoring and evaluation framework which is not only holistic but aligns with KCIA’s mission and goals."
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Sam Priest earns USAP Program designation
Congratulations to Sam Priest, Airport Duty Manager, who recently received his U.S. Airport Professional Program (USAP) designation. The USAP Program is an e-Learning training curriculum for airport industry professionals accredited by Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA). The program covers a full range of current airport management topics such as leadership development, business strategy, commercial management, finance, operations, safety, security, and air service.
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National Aviation reopens
National Aviation, under new ownership, is now open at KCIA. Seattle Aviation Group, which acquired National Aviation recently, held a grand re-opening of the general aviation retailer on July 14.
“It’s undergone quite the transformation,” said Ashley Halligan, Chief Operating Officer of Seattle Aviation Solutions. “We really want to get the word out that we’re there to support the general aviation community.”
National Aviation was shuttered for most of 2022. Then it was open only limited hours. Closed briefly earlier this year for renovations, the retailer at 7170 Perimeter Road South is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Their location near Galvin and Modern Aviation is ideal for a supply store for pilots, offering grease, oil, filters, batteries, maps and other aviation necessities.
“It’s very exciting to be at this location at BFI,” Halligan said. “We want to promote Seattle as an aviation hub.”
Halligan also encouraged pilots to check out the enhanced online marketplace.
Seattle Aviation Solutions, also owned by Seattle Aviation Group, plans to move to the south end of the airport early next year.
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Nathen Hamill earns AAAE lighting certification
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Nathen Hamill, airport electrician, is now an Airport Certified Employee (ACE) for Airfield Lighting Systems through the American Association of Airport Executives. Hamill passed the ACE Airfield Lighting course on July 17. He joins Shawn Smith as an ACE for lighting, showing that he has the in-depth hands-on knowledge and skills to work on airfield lighting systems. Way to go! |
Third annual FOD Walk nets a key and other debris
 On July 22, about 140 people participated in the airport's third annual FOD Walk, gathering on the runway to remove Foreign Object Debris (FOD).
 Sam Priest, Airport Duty Manager, left, welcomes participants to the FOD Walk. At right, participants pick up debris on the runway during the event.
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Notable finds this year included a key, a screw and other debris including rocks. Foreign object debris or FOD can be dangerous to aircraft, pilots and passengers.
"This year saw new sponsorships, more people (including King County Councilmembers), and perfect weather," said Sam Priest. "All combined that provided a fun and exciting event, making King County International Airport a safe, world-class airport.”
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Interns tour Auburn and Arlington Municipal Airports
 Left to right: Ellie Lichti (Auburn Airport’s intern), and KCIA interns Rishi Rastogi, Anders McAllister, Paanshul Jarrel, Zach Hoffman, Ian Chong and Aafreen Tejani at Auburn Municipal Airport for a recent tour.
 KCIA interns, joined by interns from Sea-Tac and Auburn, toured the Arlington Municipal Airport on July 26.
KCIA brings True North values to aviation industry
Submitted by Kevin Nuechterlein, Capital Project Manager, and Vanessa Chin, Innovation Section Manager, KCIA
King County International Airport is committed to bringing the King County True North and values to the aviation industry, creating a welcoming community and workplace where every person can thrive. Front and center to many of these efforts is the work KCIA is doing for equity and social justice. Airport employees bring this lens to the committees they participate on, the research they lead and the conference panels they participate in. This work will help the airport industry, which historically skews older, whiter and more male than the general population, diversify to stay competitive and provide exceptional customer service in our changing world.
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“King County International Airport is clearly ‘Leading the Way’ in the DEI/ESJ space thanks to the strong example and support from King County leadership,” said John Parrott, airport director. “We have been on this journey for several years and are in a unique position to assist airports of all sizes who may not be as far down this path as we are.”
Get more information about how KCIA employees have given back and added value to the industry in the last year.
Photos: Top left, Kevin Nuechterlein
At right: Vanessa Chin, second from left
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Auburn Municipal Airport upcoming CTAF change
Auburn Municipal Airport (S50) will be changing their Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF) to 122.975 starting on August 10. CTAF is a frequency designated for aircraft pilots to communicate with each other directly, air-to-air, while operating to or from an airport without an operating control tower such as Auburn’s.
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