Weather CAMS - CASA has no interest?
Thread Starter
I allow CASA 5 years to do something positive re my letter.
After 5 years of doing zero I get attacked for writing a provocative headline.
Poor CASA. Mustn't upset them in any way
After 5 years of doing zero I get attacked for writing a provocative headline.
Poor CASA. Mustn't upset them in any way
You're not being attacked, Dick. I think webcams at aerodromes are a great idea.
You're merely being told that you wrote to the wrong agency. But as we well know: You won't be told.
I reckon you should write to CASA and suggest that CASA fund IFR ratings for everyone. Think of the lives of those who would otherwise be scud-running you'd be saving. I'll take a punt and predict that CASA won't take up that suggestion either.
You're merely being told that you wrote to the wrong agency. But as we well know: You won't be told.
I reckon you should write to CASA and suggest that CASA fund IFR ratings for everyone. Think of the lives of those who would otherwise be scud-running you'd be saving. I'll take a punt and predict that CASA won't take up that suggestion either.
Thread Starter
The FAA doesn't fund IFR ratings .
CASA funds to the tune of millions of dollars safety talks around Australia that are attended by a minute percentage of pilots. Why not move some of that money to something more useful. Or spend the money saved by having all board meetings in Canberra
CASA funds to the tune of millions of dollars safety talks around Australia that are attended by a minute percentage of pilots. Why not move some of that money to something more useful. Or spend the money saved by having all board meetings in Canberra
The money CASA spends on safety promotion activities is chicken feed compared to the hundreds of millions wasted on the regulatory 'reform' bugger's muddle. In fact, that wasted money could have funded IFR ratings for each and every Australian pilots licence holder. But none of that means CASA has the choice of diverting any of that money to setting up and maintaining webcams at aerodromes (or paying for pilots' IFR ratings). Maintaining webcams at aerodromes is not CASA's function.
Another fact that you'll never accept, no matter how many times you're told it, is that money 'saved' in one area of aviation is NOT then 'spent' in another area of aviation. If, for example, a government were to shut down the regulatory reform bugger's muddle, the millions saved would NOT be spent in some other area of aviation. It would be spent wherever it was politically expedient to spend it, or not spent on anything else at all. And there would be ZERO reduction in the costs of interacting with the regulator and operating aircraft, and ZERO impact on safety.
Another fact that you'll never accept, no matter how many times you're told it, is that money 'saved' in one area of aviation is NOT then 'spent' in another area of aviation. If, for example, a government were to shut down the regulatory reform bugger's muddle, the millions saved would NOT be spent in some other area of aviation. It would be spent wherever it was politically expedient to spend it, or not spent on anything else at all. And there would be ZERO reduction in the costs of interacting with the regulator and operating aircraft, and ZERO impact on safety.
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Some people say in one sentence "the government should do something about that ...".
In the next sentence they complain about the "nanny state".
Rather than rely on the government, why don't airfield operators, flying clubs and flying schools just gut web cams with cellular access, install the equipment on airports and plug it into the existing cam network?
Probably cost $500 a unit, no need to wait for the government.
In the next sentence they complain about the "nanny state".
Rather than rely on the government, why don't airfield operators, flying clubs and flying schools just gut web cams with cellular access, install the equipment on airports and plug it into the existing cam network?
Probably cost $500 a unit, no need to wait for the government.
Last edited by peterc005; 31st Jan 2016 at 21:09.
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Here, 'av a larf on me.
The link below contains a PowerPoint presentation of the GoVisual system I envisaged almost 10 years ago (2008) that used webcams and more.
Unfortunately the animations don't seem to work in anything other than MicroSoft PowerPoint, which is typical of something created using an old technology...but you get the drift.
GoVisual MS-PowerPoint file (271Kb)
The link below contains a PowerPoint presentation of the GoVisual system I envisaged almost 10 years ago (2008) that used webcams and more.
Unfortunately the animations don't seem to work in anything other than MicroSoft PowerPoint, which is typical of something created using an old technology...but you get the drift.
GoVisual MS-PowerPoint file (271Kb)
Exactly Peter. RVAC's webcam at Moorabbin Airport worked very well for a number of years. It faced north or north-east.
I also found webcams very useful some years ago when living in the USA and flying around the Rocky Mountains.
I also found webcams very useful some years ago when living in the USA and flying around the Rocky Mountains.
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I suggested Lilydale have a weather webcam pointing to the north east and north west. I was told they weren't interested. Not sure why, but it would be an ideal place to cover one (2 really) of the ways through the divide from Melbourne.
Kilmore gap webcam ewoild be helpful, and no flying school or club near, so webcam at flying schools/clubs wouod be of great help, but a few others are needed.That is where gov shouod come in.
Kilmore gap webcam ewoild be helpful, and no flying school or club near, so webcam at flying schools/clubs wouod be of great help, but a few others are needed.That is where gov shouod come in.
Last edited by rjtjrt; 1st Feb 2016 at 02:20. Reason: Grammar
Cattletruck,
That is an awesome Idea!!!! With a mobile phone and data plane it would be very easy for any pilot (or ground based person) with an app to upload a "PIREP" to be automatically be disseminated. Imagine if there was also a slick way of integrating the "official" met data so that you could get quick, easy to interpret information while in the air.
That is an awesome Idea!!!! With a mobile phone and data plane it would be very easy for any pilot (or ground based person) with an app to upload a "PIREP" to be automatically be disseminated. Imagine if there was also a slick way of integrating the "official" met data so that you could get quick, easy to interpret information while in the air.
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Thanks no_one 
,
To be really useful though one would need a camera facing each end of each runway, or a 360 view. How many times have we seen blue sky along one cardinal and approaching storms on its reciprocal. We certainly wouldn't want to mislead pilots, and to augment the photo with Bureau of Meteorology radar images would be very helpful, but even those radars have limitations that are not publicly advertised.
Unfortunately all that "guaranteeing" just seems to drive up the cost of what essentially started off as a simple idea.
I still reckon we'll get the tech fully sorted eventually, as long as we keep pushing for a better way.
,To be really useful though one would need a camera facing each end of each runway, or a 360 view. How many times have we seen blue sky along one cardinal and approaching storms on its reciprocal. We certainly wouldn't want to mislead pilots, and to augment the photo with Bureau of Meteorology radar images would be very helpful, but even those radars have limitations that are not publicly advertised.
Unfortunately all that "guaranteeing" just seems to drive up the cost of what essentially started off as a simple idea.
I still reckon we'll get the tech fully sorted eventually, as long as we keep pushing for a better way.
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Guy in NZ developed cheap camera wx station
Uses 2-4 webcams, takes a still pic every 15 min, sends to website
Cheap weather station, take info for what its worth but cameras are good resource
Needs some power and mobile sim, all up cost around $300. A few private in AU
Could do camera alone for less
Uses 2-4 webcams, takes a still pic every 15 min, sends to website
Cheap weather station, take info for what its worth but cameras are good resource
Needs some power and mobile sim, all up cost around $300. A few private in AU
Could do camera alone for less
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Here is an inexpensive, flexible and powerful solution for creating local weather stations that can be networked into Australian Weathercam Network or something similar:
https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/wea...mperature-cam/
No need for CASA, Airservices or any bureaucracy, just spend a couple of hundred bucks and connect it up.
https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/wea...mperature-cam/
No need for CASA, Airservices or any bureaucracy, just spend a couple of hundred bucks and connect it up.
but a few others are needed.That is where gov shoud come in.
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Given the closer than some expected election polls, is it now an opportune time to approach the political parties to see if they can consider their possible taking up of this fairly inexpensive but valuable tool?
Thread Starter
I agree. But there seems to be no aviation policy at all. Thus would be a great low cost safety improver.
Why doesn't the Ministers aviation advisor suggest some of these things?
Why doesn't the Ministers aviation advisor suggest some of these things?
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There are people here who will complain about the "nanny state" in one sentence and then say "the government should do something about this ..." in the next sentence.
Web cams and internet access are cheap - stop whinging and just buy some yourselves.
Web cams and internet access are cheap - stop whinging and just buy some yourselves.
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Thanks Pete, you just made the point for the suggestion that Gov buy some. Good of you to inadvertently make a positive contribution to PPRUNE.
Yes, they are cheap, and would be a very cost effective safety investment for government to make.
Yes, they are cheap, and would be a very cost effective safety investment for government to make.
Last edited by rjtjrt; 29th Jun 2016 at 01:08.
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Why is the government responsible for solving every little problem?
If CASA or Airservices did this it would take years, involve studies, RFPs, staff, budgets and bureaucracy. By the time it was implemented I'd bet the technology would be outdated anyway.
If you are not happy with local weather reporting just spend a couple of hundred dollars at your local airport and fix it yourself.
If CASA or Airservices did this it would take years, involve studies, RFPs, staff, budgets and bureaucracy. By the time it was implemented I'd bet the technology would be outdated anyway.
If you are not happy with local weather reporting just spend a couple of hundred dollars at your local airport and fix it yourself.
rjtjrt - PeterC doesn't even look at the wind sock when goes flying, so I can understand that he doesn't think a weather camera would be of any value.
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Peter
You don't have a clue.
I don't need it for my local airport, but I would value it for the areas Dick mentioned in the OP ("weather CAMS at places like Kilmore Gap, Mittagong, Mount Victoria and other places where safety could be improved").
You don't have a clue.
I don't need it for my local airport, but I would value it for the areas Dick mentioned in the OP ("weather CAMS at places like Kilmore Gap, Mittagong, Mount Victoria and other places where safety could be improved").