The Willapa Harbor Airport now has two new windsocks that were installed by Port of Willapa Harbor staff members Mike Deniston and Steve Porter. Willapa Harbor Pilots Association Founder Bill Kennedy “supervised” the installation last Thursday.
Both windsocks stand 12-feet tall and are strategically located to provide pilots critical information when preparing for takeoff and landing.
Windsocks are particularly important for small airports like Raymond’s where there is no control tower to advise pilots about wind. In addition to indicating wind velocity, they alert aviators about the need to compensate for crosswinds — winds not directly aligned with the runway.
The windsocks were donated to the port authority, owner of Pacific County’s only public airport, by the late George D. Solomon. Solomon was a Raymond native who followed in his father’s footsteps to become an airline pilot. His son, Rick, recently retired as an airline pilot, making him the family’s third generation airline pilot.