Dakota ATC facility opens

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Kasey Zickmund
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  After two years of planning and a nearly $10 million investment, the new Dakota Air Traffic Control Facility opened for business Aug. 20. The official opening of the facility, which is located in Building 7501, was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony officiated by Col. Scott Vander Hamm, 28th Bomb Wing commander.

"This new facility provides radar air traffic services to Ellsworth and Minot Air Force Base, N.D., along with Rapid City Regional Airport, Minot International Airport and numerous small airports within our airspace," said 1st Lt. Nathan Willis, 28th Operations Support Squadron Airfield Operations flight commander.

The facility is equipped with the new Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System, which replaces the old Radar Approach Control system and will save the Air Force an estimated $28.7 million over the next 20 years. The Minot portion of the system went live Aug. 20 at 11 a.m.; the Ellsworth portion went live near the end of June.

"The STARS is better because it helps an air traffic controller aid an aircraft more efficiently than the old system," said Senior Airman Laura Washer, 28th OSS air traffic controller journeyman. Airman Washer is among the first of nine controllers who will relocate to Ellsworth, and join Ellsworth's 30 controllers to help man the new ATC facility.

This facility, co-located with weather, base operations and other flight-line support agencies, helps the Air Force's overall mission by capitalizing on available manning while more efficiently supporting two bomb wing missions, as well as two major civilian airports.

"Our mission will be to provide air traffic services to the military and civilian airports from one co-located facility," said Chief Master Sgt. Brian Lavoie, 28th OSS RAPCON chief controller. "Our new location is unique to the Air Force because of the great distance between Minot and Ellsworth; [Ellsworth airspace and Minot airspace are separated by 265 nautical miles, nearly 305 miles.]"