There is a new landmark on Whidbey Island that is now open for business Capt. Syd Abernethy officially brought Naval Air Station Whidbey Island’s air traffic control tower into service Aug. 1 in front of a gathering of Navy Air Traffic Controllers (ACs) and Electronics Technicians (ETs.)

Most of those present will be the Sailors who bring the new tower to life while others spent their time in service calling the shots from the base’s 1954 tower perched atop Hangar 5 near the north end of the flight line.

“It was getting run down, it served its purpose in serving the air station,” said Lt.Cmdr. Gerald Sodano, air traffic control facility officer, of the 51-year-old tower when speaking of its shortfalls. “There were blind spots in the old tower too, parts of the runway you just couldn’t see, which was really bad for our air traffic controllers.”

Rising 156 feet above the flight line, the new tower is the tallest building on Whidbey Island and an easily recognizable landmark that can even be easily seen from Mount Eerie in Anacortes. The height of the new tower doesn’t just make it easy to see, it makes it easier to see from. Unlike the old tower, the new tower is more centrally located along the runway and taller than the old tower to provide an unhindered view of both approach and departure of aircraft. “Overall, it’s a better view for situational awareness,” said Sodano.

Along with the new building came a host of upgraded equipment to help improve communication and the flow of information through more ergonomic and intuitive controls such as touch screens at each console. The ease of operation lets controllers think less about equipment and more about aircraft. It also helped to provide a seamless transition to the new tower.

“It was actually easier to get our controllers trained up on the new equipment than it was previously because the new gear is easier to operate,” said Sodano.

Training won’t stop now that the new tower is open for business; instead, the more spacious new tower allows enough room to have a watch stander and a trainee at each watch station. Being able to train like this is important because of the time it takes for controllers to get qualified. Sailors have to begin training their replacement not long after finishing their own qualifications.

“We’ve got plenty of room here for all the trainees and trainers which is real important because it does take a long time to get qualified in the tower,” said Sodano. “With the rotation of the people here, we’re constantly training.”

The new tower was built the capability to upgrade equipment as technology and processes improve in the future so that controllers will continually be able to provide NAS Whidbey Island aviators with top-notch services.

“The tower is going to be modified throughout the years and one of the benefits to this tower is that is built for that kind of modification,” said Sodano. “A lot of what these Sailors see now will lead to input that are going to change that tower as the years go by as far as its usability and adaptability to procedures and what the customers needs are as they come out with the EA-18G, MMA and other aircraft that might be stationed here or visit our air space.”

That planning for the future started back in 1999 with a group of chiefs who met at the chiefs club and jotted down some notes on a napkin. From that humble start, the idea was presented to and received backing from operations department officers and base leaders and on up through the chain of command until it became part of the 2002 budget leading to the groundbreaking on July 29, 2003.

“There has been a lot of hard work by a lot of people, we’re just the benefactors of that. There are a lot of people that came before me that did a lot of meetings and put in a lot of work to make it happen. It’s just a huge achievement.”