LifeFlight Works with Maine DOT to Improve Aviation Safety
LifeFlight of Maine is teaming up with the Maine Department of Transportation to install new Automated Weather Observing System III (AWOS III) units across the state. The units, which provide real-time weather data, will improve aviation safety in Maine.
LifeFlight relies heavily on weather data from AWOS stations across the state to provide reliable, real time information on weather conditions. When a patient transport request is received, the pilot first must check weather data to determine if they can safely complete all three legs of the transport: from base to pick up the patient, from the sending facility to the receiving facility, and from the receiving facility back to base to prepare for the next patient transport. If the pilot cannot confirm the weather is safe to fly, they may decline the request for safety reasons. With more data, LifeFlight can ensure patients receive the care they need as reliably, safely, and efficiently as possible. These AWOS stations make a meaningful difference for those facing a critical illness or injury every day in Maine.
LifeFlight’s John Rolfson, an Aviation Infrastructure Engineer, and Bill Yates, an IT Systems and Aviation Infrastructure Specialist, spent two weeks installing the new AWOS 3P systems at Bethel Regional Airport and Princeton Municipal Airport. The LifeFlight team worked and trained alongside the manufacturer’s installer to earn their factory maintainer certificate. LifeFlight will now be responsible for the maintenance of these stations and take the lead on future AWOS construction across the state.
“We are especially grateful for the support of our maintenance partner, LifeFlight of Maine,” shared Mesotech International, who manufactures and installs the systems for airports worldwide. “Their team is trained to maintain the system and brings extensive experience working on weather systems throughout Maine, helping ensure long-term reliability for the communities these systems serve.”
The project is funded by the Maine Department of Transportation. The plan is to install three additional stations in 2027, and another four in 2028.
The new AWOS III units replace the aging DigiWx stations with a complete set of certified weather sensors. Weather reports (known as METAR) will now be accepted into the National Airspace Data Interchange Network (NADIN).
“This change will allow for the broader dissemination of these weather reports, which helps support LifeFlight’s robust IFR efforts and the aviation community throughout Maine,” said John.
When pilots operate under IFR, or instrument flight rules, they are navigating the aircraft primarily by referencing the instruments in the cockpit, following detailed procedures and protocols set out by the FAA. The new AWOS III units will help aviators have a better understanding of the weather along their flightpath.
You can see the real-time weather data from the Bethel Regional Airport here. The system at the Princeton Municipal Airport has been installed and is awaiting commissioning.
