|
|
How Far Will We Go To Make An On-Site Service Call? In This Case, All The Way To Point Barrow, Alaska
In the early days of the Cold War, the United States and Canada built a line of radar stations above the arctic circle that stretched from the western end of Alaska to the eastern tip of Canada. This project was known as the Distant Early Warning Line (DEWline).
The growth and success of Kings Avionics has been built on superior customer service. That's why Steve Hayden, president and founder of Kings Avioinics--a skilled avionics technician himself--and Jeff Nicholls, Kings Avionics special projects engineer, traveled to the long range radar site (LRRS) at Point Barrow, Alaska to inspect the installation and check the alignment and calibration of a unit known as a KAP-1 Position Adjustable Range Reference Orientation Transponder Beacon (PARROT) that Kings Avionics developed and manufactures for the U. S. Air Force. The PARROT is a specially modified general aviation transponder mounted in a special housing suitable for operation at a radar site or at a remote location. The purpose of the PARROT is to help check the performance of the radar. They then traveled on to Murphy Dome, Alaska, where they performed the same services on another PARROT. These units are among the first of several PARROTs that Kings is building for the USAF.
Jeff Nicholls, special projects engineer for Kings Avionics, and Ken Eaton, radar technician for Arctec, check the operation of the PARROT at the Point Barrow Long Range Radar Site. |
|
ARCTEC Alaska, a joint venture between ATCO Frontec and Arctic World Services, Inc., is responsible for the complete operation and maintenance of 18 radar stations scattered over 590,000 square miles of Alaska. The Alaska Radar System (ARS) supports the U. S. Air Force and North America Aerospace and Defense Command (NORAD) by providing 24/7 air space surveillance, attack warning, intercept control and navigational assistance to military and civilian aircraft.
|
Steve Hayden and Jeff Nicholls, beside the northern-most totem pole in the world, at Point Barrow. Gloomy weather and low visibility are frequently the norm here, even in the summer. |
Kings Avionics is proud to be associated with the outstanding people who staff the DEWline operations, and who do really tough jobs in a part of the world where nothing is every easy, and weather is a year-round challenge.
|
