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OPERATIONS  
November | December 2026      AirportImprovement.com
0B1 | PNN
used up a good chunk of time to see if we can get a helicopter or 
a plane to that location just to have to turn around and come up 
with a plan B or C.”
Once LifeFlight personnel make a no-go decision for a given 
flight, they then turn to downstream decisions. For example, if the 
weather is too poor for helicopter or fixed wing flight, they can 
immediately initiate a ground response option. Weather data that 
is more readily accessible will help teams provide patients with 
the most expedient response possible because they can quickly 
evaluate options and choose the one that can get them to the 
designated location fastest. 
Currently, LifeFlight of Maine does a lot of instrument-aided 
flights with support from DigiWx stations, but their limited FAA-
certified data has been a hinderance. “We’ve found ways to 
utilize that data over the years,” Rolfson says, “but the AWOS III 
systems absolutely streamlines the process by providing a fully 
certified METAR, available for all aviation purposes.”
Lambert adds that the weather information is available across 
the United States, so an out-of-state flight coming into Maine can 
now get a certified IFR flight plan into Bethel Regional. The AWOS 
III information also feeds into ForeFlight and other flight planning 
tools, as well as on the FAA website and Mesotech’s AWOS Live 
platform for each airport with its cloud-based AWOS III systems. 
System Monitoring and Maintenance 
After contractor Reed & Reed prepared the construction sites, 
poured the tower foundations and established electrical service 
for the first two AWOS III systems, Mesotech and LifeFlight of 
Maine collaborated on the installations. LifeFlight IT Systems and 
Aviation Infrastructure Specialist Bill Yates and Rolfson spent two 
weeks installing the systems at 0B1 and PNN under the direction 
of Mesotech’s trainer/field technician and ultimately earned their 
brand-specific factory maintainer certificates with the FAA.  
With its personnel now trained and working with Mesotech 
remotely, LifeFlight of Maine will perform the 2027 AWOS 
installations and coordinate FAA commissioning for Maine DOT, as 
well as the ongoing FAA-mandated maintenance for the statewide 
systems. Mesotech will continue to support the systems with 
remote monitoring, diagnostics and technical support.
Mesotech’s experience in the military sector includes providing 
mission-critical weather systems at air bases around the world, 
often in difficult-to-access locations. As a result, the company 
has developed ways to monitor the systems remotely, and 
diagnose/resolve issues quickly, notes Kuchel. “Keeping all those 
DigiWx systems running has required a lot of elbow grease and 
miles in cars and planes to get to them,” he says. “Now, we’re 
working in conjunction with LifeFlight, so that we are coordinating 
the diagnosis of any issues in advance of John [Rolfson] or his 
team having to get in a car and go out there.” 
Most of the time, he adds, airports don’t discover the DigiWx 
systems are down until a pilot reports an issue. With remote 
monitoring for AWOS systems, they’ll know when there’s an issue 
and can typically prevent being out of commission. 
When possible, Mesotech makes sure Rolfson and his team 
have the appropriate parts in hand so they can resolve the issue 
in a single trip, rather than going once to diagnose and again to 
make a repair.
The current system for installation and maintenance is an 
extension of previous collaborations between the same key 
partners. Rolfson says it was back in the early 2000s when 
LifeFlight of Maine recognized the need to start investing in 
aviation infrastructure across the state to allow their medevac 
teams to be more reliable. “It also was a key move just for safer 
skies,” he adds. “The state really needed it.” 
LifeFlight of Maine consequently worked with the state on bond 
issues to provide the 16 DigiWx stations installed in the mid- to 
late 2000s, and also took responsibility for their maintenance. 
“I’m really thankful for the efforts of all involved and the state 
of Maine for stepping in to support this next generation of AWOS 
stations,” Rolfson says. “We’re really proud to continue the work 
of maintaining them long-term.”
Lambert is similarly excited about the improved resiliency of 
the new AWOS III systems. “With the old units, five years was a 
good push if you could even get that much,” he explains. “We’re 
expecting to double or triple that with the new units, which is a 
big deal from the funding and maintenance perspective.”
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