PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Automated Weather reporting at Minor GA Airstrips
Old 19th Apr 2018, 04:36
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YPJT
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: WA
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We've been involved in the installation of a few of these both with BoM and later Visala. The approved systems are not cheap... think six figures.

I have also worked at airports that have installed mickey mouse off the shelf systems bought online. Ground staff generally don't know what they don't know and will blindly follow the readouts and pass that information onto aircraft . What astounded me was that the pilots would happily use this information. Sure 99% of the time the wind and temperature info might be ok but anemometers get stuck or don't give correct info. Plus there is generally no reporting mechanism installed to advise when part of the system is U/S like with the approved AWIBs.

The approved systems are not without fault either. I once had one reporting CAVOK when there was hi 90s % humidity and temp and dew point within a degree of each other.
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