Question for NATS employees involved with SAMOS
 

Just curious, for those of you that use SAMOS when it doesn't report representative weather conditions do you edit the data prior to dissemination?

Here in the U.S., our version of SAMOS (called ASOS) frequently is left as-is by FAA ATC even though it isn't reporting anything near reality. It's a problem for me as a I frequently fly into airports (even larger class "C" airspace fields) where the METAR data is inaccurate or not representative.

I sometimes wonder if an accident will eventually be caused by inaccurate data.

SAMOS is corrected at Gatwick, the only time it is left on AUTO mode is when staff are unavailable e.g. due sickness.

Same at Heathrow, only on auto at night for two hours to allow a responsibility free break.

Manch too....
Tho' to be "technical", Samos has a "Static Cloud Base Recorder" as opposed to Mets "Swinging Thingy" :E
bb

Another SAMOS Question
 

Same at Aberdeen. Our ATSAs have partial MET Obs certificates which allow them to correct SAMOS information but not to provide met observations.

My question is: What do other NATS Units do when the SAMOS fails?

We have a backup system which provides everything apart from visibility, weather, cloud heights and amounts. However our ATSAs cannot give obs and the ATCOs can't give "unofficial observations from the tower" as that is only allowed if they percieve the WX to be worse than the official MET, and there won't be one if the SAMOS is goosed.

Our local instructions say that ADC is to determine whether the prevailing WX conditions would normally allow the affected procedures to be used but I guess that if it is anything much less than VMC, pilots would need cloud and visibility information before commencing an approach.

Your thoughts please.

That is good to know. Unfortunately in the U.S., FAA ATC personnel seem to frequently leave ASOS reporting unrepresentative conditions, even when they are "logged in" to the system. Sometimes ATC personnel don't even log into the system and leave the observations in AUTO even when the control tower is open.

At the largest airports there are still weather observers which do quite a good job at augmenting the automated data. I believe ASOS operates with the same type of technology as SAMOS, however ASOS was designed in the early 1990s.

You would think the FAA would understand the need for reasonably accurate weather data and would understand the liability if the data is not up to standards, however this just isn't so.

Datafox;

Did you know that at the larger airports the controllers don't do the augmenting, but a contract weather observer???? We give them the tower vis, but that is it... I think that you will find that at most locations where the tower does provide the back up as long as they have the staffing to keep up with the changing weather they will keep it up to date. Of course with our staffing starting to tank at some locations, that may be problematic. Oh, also, if you are having issues with the weather reporting, please file NASA ASRS reports to document it.

regards

Scott H. Voigt
NATCA Safety and Tech Chairman
Southwest Region

Yes, I've filed several NASA ASRS reports regarding this issue.

Thanks.

[Our local instructions say that ADC is to determine whether the prevailing WX conditions would normally allow the affected procedures to be used but I guess that if it is anything much less than VMC, pilots would need cloud and visibility information before commencing an approach.
Your thoughts please.[/QUOTE]
I think that visibility is only an issue when the RVR is below minima.As for cloud then there is no way to state it,so I guess it's not available.How we work out how to put on Safeguarding then not sure.If the cloud is down on the reservoir on the hill,then put it on?:\
Computers don't fail do they.I've got a Met Obs ticket from another country,but can't use it here.:=

Well, we have PAMOS at Brizzel (near enough the same as the all singing, tea making SAMOS) and we are prompted by the machine to check it then we send it manually (as opposed to the computer just putting it out at the right time). I hate it as I was trained on the system elsewhere to update the met as and when it needed to be updated rather than just at 50 and 20 when it was sent out. Our ATSAs have recently completed the two day (or was it one day?) partial course to bring them into line with the rest of NATS, but all our ATCOs have full Met Obs ratings anyway, so if, god forbid, the system goes tits up, we can do the obs the old fashioned way if we have to. Anyway, because we are used to doing it ourselves, it may well continue like that as long as we aren't too busy, then we can fall back on the ATSAs.

SAMOS can, and certainly is when I'm on duty, used to update the weather between standard Met obs. It also transmits Auto special reports when certain criteria are met e.g. new QNH.

At Manch, we are "offered" a Full Auto setting, which isn't used, but ANY change in Cloud or Viz [either real or imagined] flashes an alert every minuite, can be a pain at 3am CAVOK, and the kit throws a wobbler.
watp,iktch

youngskywalker,
as someone who has installed and maintained SAMOS equipment I am very surprised and alarmed by the above statement as I believe NATS would not buy and use an equipment that displays garbage for 90% of the time; on what do you base this figure and can you support it? :confused:

ysw,
When the brown stuff hits the whirly thing just make sure that you are on your "Resposiblity Free Break" :ugh: :ugh:
Do your job, and look out of the chuffin' window and assess the wx :} well that's what I do
watp,iktch

On PAMOS, and I think It's the same with SAMOS, verifiable met conditions such as MET Vis, Cloudbase and weather are suffixed with the word "unverified" on the ATIS when the system is set to auto meaning that such data is to be used with caution.

Thick fog at Brum last night, what was SAMAS giving? - SNOW!:rolleyes:

It certainly does not look good that the 3rd busiest airport in the world is reporting light snow at night when it is just foggy.

EGLL 230250Z 00000KT 0400 R27R/1100 R27L/1000 FZFG OVC001 M00/M00 Q1042 BECMG 0800
EGLL 230220Z AUTO 00000KT 0350NDV R27R/1100 R27L/1000 FG VV/// M00/M00 Q1042
EGLL 230150Z AUTO 00000KT 0250NDV R27R/0700 R27L/0600 -SHSN VV/// M00/M00 Q1042
EGLL 230120Z 00000KT 0500 R27R/0750 R27L/1000 FZFG OVC001 M00/M00 Q1043 BECMG 0800

ATCE, Its been our experience at Aberdeen that the Samos equipment is indeed '****e'. That is the reason we are there apparently, to correct it when it feeds us rubbish, which it does more often than not.

Why did NATS buy it? Its obvious isn't it? It saves a fortune in qualified Weather men!! Plus it gets the pound of flesh out of the ATSA's in Aberdeen, while keeping ATSA's employed as Met Men down south I believe.

It is a very limited system, measuring vis between two fixed points a couple of meters apart, and cloud straight up only. How can that be anything better than rubbish? Its regularly affected by, condensation, frost, fod, and other weirdness and gives utter ****e readings as a result.

Our 'unbreakable, ultra reliable' Samos has also broken down on at least 8 occasions that I know off since installation in April. Its tendancy for Specials is THE most annoying thing in the world, usually wrongly, and continues to flash, even when cancelled repeatedly until the next ATIS is due.

Most worrying is the fact that 'Winter' hasn't arrived yet !

Even though we have no traffic at night at the moment, we are still required to do live metars every hour for TAF requirments, its said. The question is, during sickness when Samos is on Auto all night, and during breakdowns, none of the heli companies or airlines seem affected by the lack of a TAF and go flying anyway??!!

Can anyone explain what the actual requirement is for a TAF/Forecast before flying?

too.

If there is snow on the cloud monitors,will that not affect their measurements.It can muck up the IRVR.It will probably think it's sky obscured in fog.:D
Wasn't there some backhanders dished out to the power that be for installing Samos.Don't think the Atsas saw much of it.:hmm:

t a d,
The "Cloud Monitor" aka Cloud BASE Recorder does NOT affect the IRVR.
IF there is ANY loss of visibuility due to "Precipitation" eg, rain, snow etc Then that "may" affect the IRVR.
SAMOS "Reports" [what IT "sees"]
Viz between two "fixed" points [fairly close together]Cloud A vertical "static" beam. [If it sees "Nowt", it reports CAVOK]
Precipitation.....NOW there is the "bugbear".....
At Manch, the "sensors" are 2km from the "observer" [The ATSA]. Said ATSA has to accept or decline wx info, when "presented" for a METAR.
SAMOS "reports" 170/04 3000BR NRC 04/03 1004
"MY" obs 170/04 CAVOK 04/03 1004

As atsoo said..It's NOT very good
watp,iktch