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Week of Jul. 23, 2007
Boeing Field staff stirring in preparation for Angels
The Blue Angels fly over Seattle with another air show act. (courtesy: Seafair) | Every summer in early August, King County International Airport (KCIA) at Boeing Field sees a rich variety of aviation talent come through for the annual Seafair Air Show. Organizers of the show say KCIA staff is a big help when it comes to organizing such a massive event."Boeing Field provides an excellent base of operations for the air show due to close proximity to the show site over Lake Washington, and the availability of all needed support services," said Seafair Air Show Committee Chairman Frank Sebastian. The U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels squadron is easily the most recognizable act in the air over Seafair weekend, but it’s only a part of the things to see. “In addition to the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, 18 aircraft are scheduled to perform over Lake Washington," said Sebastian. "These include civilian aerobatic performers Patriots Airshow America, Sean D. Tucker, Ed Hamill, Gregg Poe, Bill Leff, and John Klatt. Each will perform a dramatic aerobatic routine over Lake Washington." Since the Blue Angels are the biggest draw, most of the preparation by KCIA staff is for their arrival and show. There are periodic meetings throughout the first half of the year, but the week of the show is when KCIA staff kicks things into high gear.
(courtesy: Seafair) | The first of the Angels arrives the Wednesday before the show, and droves of fans turn out – some of whom come during the day to catch a glimpse and others who camp out overnight to see the arrival.During Seafair, the airport’s maintenance and operations crews have the largest workload. Operations must make sure the runway is clear of any debris that could get caught in a jet engine. Maintenance is hard at work before the Angels’ arrival sprucing up the airport-owned Ruby Chow Park, which is north of the airport and provides an excellent vantage point for the practice flights and takeoffs and landings. Rita Creighton, KCIA’s Community Relations and Aviation Education Coordinator, sends out notices and schedules about air show activities at Boeing Field. “Our noise office sends out an advisory to make sure people know the Angels will be here,” said Creighton. “But, most people are anticipating their arrival anyway.” Creighton also helps set up the pilots’ visits to Aviation High School and Opportunity Skyway, programs that educate students interested in aviation careers. This year's Seafair festivities including the hydroplane races and air show will take place the weekend of August 4-5.
One of the many jets at this year's Preview. | It's an opportunity for jet lovers to see the latest and greatest the industry has to offer. Last week, Galvin Flying hosted the 2007 Jet Preview at King County International Airport. The Preview is an invitation-only event, and features the newest models of jets and business aircraft. Dozens of exhibitors such as Cessna, Mooney, Cirrus, Diamond, Eclipse, Columbia and more were on hand. Barrier Porsche sponsored the event and diplayed some of its new automobiles as well. The KCIA Jet Preview was one of 10 nationwide stops, including Chicago, Denver, and Dallas.
The annual Seafair Torchlight Parade on Saturday, July 28 at 7:30 p.m. is one of the highlights of the annual Seafair summer festival season. It attracts thousands of spectators to downtown Seattle for the unique evening parade. One of the best ways to enjoy the parade is to use Metro to cut through the crowds and escape the parking hassles. Both before and after the parade on Saturday, there will be extra trips on select Metro routes serving downtown Seattle. Remember that some Metro service will be rerouted to avoid the parade as it travels down Fourth Avenue from the Space Needle to the International District. Both the Elliott Bay Water Taxi and George Benson Waterfront Streetcar Line (Route 99) operate on regular Saturday schedules. See Metro Online for all the details on Torchlight service. |
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Metro is offering several options for those attending the Bellevue Arts Museum’s annual Arts Fair Friday through Sunday, July 27-29. On Friday, there are many regular Metro and Sound Transit routes traveling close to the fair site at Bellevue Square. Not all service operates at all times, so be sure to check a current paper timetable, the timetables in Metro Online and the Sound Transit website, or use Metro's online Trip Planner by clicking on Bellevue Square as your destination. On Saturday and Sunday, there are free shuttles to and from the fair and the park-and-ride lots at Houghton, South Kirkland and South Bellevue. Shuttle service begins at 10 a.m., and they return from Bellevue Square every 15 minutes until 9 p.m. on Saturday and until 6 p.m. on Sunday. See Metro Online for details about transit service to the fair.
Just a few days left to take advantage on a great deal to help commuters cope with the upcoming closure of Interstate 5 in Seattle that is expected to create widespread traffic backups. Instead of adding to the congestion by continuing to drive alone, why not share the ride with others in a King County Metro Transit vanpool? For the month of August, Metro is reducing the start-up requirements and costs for new vanpool groups with as few as five participants. Commuters who travel the I-5 corridor into or through the Seattle area can form a new Metro vanpool for just $45 per participant. The deadline for this limited offer has been extended to Friday, August 3. From Aug. 10-29, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will carry out almost three weeks of continuous intense construction on northbound I-5 between Spokane Street and Interstate 90. For most of the time, there will only be two or three lanes open in the northbound direction. Traffic congestion is expected to be considerable. | Subscribe to DOT DashSign-up to receive an e-mail text version of "Transportation Today," along with other significant DOT news by sending an e-mail to us with subscribe King County DOT Dash in the subject line.
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