The Craig Field Airport and Industrial Authority opened a bid for an Automated Weather Observing System, or AWOS, earlier this month. According to Menzo Driskell, Craig Field executive director, the new system is like, “something from Star Wars.”

The system can automatically measure meteorological parameters, reduce and analyze the data via computer and it can broadcast aviation weather reports — which are then received by the aircraft. This data can reach an aircraft operating up to 10,000 feet above ground level and within 25 nautical miles of the airport.

“This can furnish pilots with information such as wind speed and direction, wind gusts, temperature, visibility, precipitation, cloud height and lightning direction,” Driskell said. “This is just one more tool to make the Craig Airport one of the best and safest airports in the state.”

The new system will replace an existing and outdated one. Stewart Corley, properties manager for Craig Airfield, said the FAA would eventually take the old system away.

“This [old system] has just phased out and it has become obsolete now,” Corley said. “So they are in the process of shutting them down everywhere.”

Corley said the AWOS system is pre-manufactured so they will just need to run utilities like electricity to it before it can begin operating.

Driskell said the current low bidder is a Georgia company, Precision Approach, LLC. The bid stipulates the work will be completed within 120 days, and the work will begin within 60 days.

According to a press release by Craig Airport, in addition to the added safety AWOS will bring, there will be construction related jobs that will result from this project.

The system comes to the airport after Craig Airport worked in conjunction with Mayor George Evans and the Dallas County Probate Judge, Kim Ballard with the Dallas County Commission.

“Without them we could not continue to make these types of improvements,” Driskell said.

He went on to thank the Alabama Department of Transportation, Aeronautics Bureau and the FAA.