The votes are in, and the new state airport kiosk will be a design by a pair from Vancouver, WA.
Designed and built by George Welsh, and featured artwork from Hannah VanGelder (pictured above), their concept earned the top votes during the Washington State Department of Transportation Aviation Division’s airport kiosk design competition. Ballots were cast by attendees at the Northwest Aviation Conference and Tradeshow held in Puyallup last month.
Welsh is a residential designer and VanGelder is a freelance artist.
“I love to design anything and I have a strong interest in aviation because I’ve been a pilot for 40 years,” Welsh said. “I wanted a design that people would recognize and know to go to for information when they landed a half mile down the runway.”
VanGelder said she wanted the design to be eye-catching and bright, so she helped add in strategic design and color.
The airport kiosks will greet thousands of travelers passing through 136 public-use airports each year. Kiosks will have information about what the community has to offer the aviation public including local attractions, landmarks, restaurants, lodging and other points of interest, as well as information about services and amenities at the airport.
Materials and supplies will be funded by WSDOT’s Aviation Division, and volunteers will build approximately 10 public-use airport kiosks every year. Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in May.
Since Welsh and VanGelder’s design was selected, they have a choice of where they want the first Washington state airport kiosk built. The pair decided on Pearson Field airport in their hometown of Vancouver.
Kiosk design and construction details are available on the Washington State Aviation Alliance (WSAA) website. Minor design changes will be implemented to improve durability based on feedback from voters.
