FAA Offers Solution for Lack of Automated Weather Reports
It is a frustration that many Part 135 operators are familiar with: en route to an FAR
Part 139 airport, which depends on an automated weather observing system (AWOS)
or automated surface observing system (ASOS) without benefit of a human back-up,
the station stops transmitting data on the surface temperature. That's when it's time to
look for landing alternatives because in cases where surface conditions are not
reported, regulations may require Part 135 operators to delay, divert or cancel
operations to or from that airport.
"When there's a failure with the automated system, most of the time, it's the
temperature sensor," said Rich Boll, who chairs the Airspace, ATC and Flight
Technologies Working Group of the NBAA Access Committee. "The result is time
and money lost."
It is a problem that continues to grow as more airports rely on automated weather
reporting without having a human observer available to make surface reports when
the machinery breaks down.
To address that, FAA issued Notice of National Policy 8900.305, along with
Information for Operators (InFO) 15006, which indicate that Part 121 and 135
operators may continue using approximately 540 airports where AWOS/ASOS surface
conditions are not reported, provided there is an alternative report available called a
real-time mesoscale analysis (RTMA). (NBAA)