Photos and information provided by
Chris Whelan
January 30, 2018 4:38 p.m.
Chris Whelan, area photographer is keeping us updated on the terminal construction at the City of Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport. According to Whelan, “Significant progress is being made both inside and outside of the buildings under construction with most of the steel-work up in the main entrance and lobby.”
The following photos were taken today at 2:00 p.m. and show a lot of activity taking place.
Editor’s Note: Chris Whelan joined the United States Navy straight out of college in 1975 and served for 22 years as a Navy Aerographer’s Mate – the Navy’s meteorologists and oceanographers. He was first stationed in the Jacksonville area in 1980 at NAS Jacksonville and then transferred to the USS Forrestal when it was homeported at the Naval Station Mayport in the late 80s. After a tour at the Navy Base Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, he was assigned as the Chief Petty Officer in Charge of the weather and oceanography detachment at the Naval Submarine Base, Kings Bay, Georgia in 1991. He moved his family to Amelia Island then and he’s been lucky enough to call the island home ever since. He retired from the Navy in 1997 while onboard the USS John F. Kennedy at Mayport.
Chris has taught weather classes at some of the local schools on the island, given numerous hurricane presentation lectures to the Coast Guard Auxiliary and the Civil Air Patrol. He is a meteorologist holding the coveted AMS Broadcast Seal of Approval. He was an on-air meteorologist for the local stations WTLV and WJXX on and off starting in 1986 until I retired in 2004.
Now fully retired, Chris enjoys his time photographing the sights of our wonderful island, collecting and restoring vintage cameras, and being involved with local environmental issues, and enjoying my family. We thank Chris for his contributions to the Fernandina Observer.