Destination with NO weather available

[N75537]

Hi guys, just a simple question that I couldn't find an answer:

We flew a couple of days ago to Caracas, Venezuela and we found out that there were no weather reports available, no METAR, no TAFOR, nothing, not even for the airports surrounding... maybe it has something to do with the political issues, maybe not, but I couldn't recall a procedure to fly to a destination with NO weather reports...

Anybody can enlighten me?

We are flying back again next week, and I would love to "follow the rules" as well as get the job done!

Thanks guys!

[safelife]

Call the handling agent and ask them to stick their head out of the window...

[FlyingStone]

It happens in some regions at certain times.

Take two alternates and off you go.

[N75537]

Well, it was a 9 hours flight so calling the handling would not be enough, neither the tower as they said they only had the ATIS available...

We took fuel for a second alternate and we took off as it made sense, but I can't find where in the legislation is written...

[galaxy flyer]

One might ask oneself, why in God's name are going to Venezuela?

GF

[Amadis of Gaul]

Certainly you could have obtained SOME sort of a weather report, not even necessarily an aviation one.

[wiggy]

Take two alternates and off you go.

We work to the same rule.

N75537

Starting point for the origins of the rule might be your Ops manual, it's certainly covered in our OM A under Planning...I suspect that in turn nowadays comes from EASA though we had the "if no destination weather plan two alternates rule" way before EASA came along.

[megan]

Certainly you could have obtained SOME sort of a weather report, not even necessarily an aviation one.

While that may give you some appreciation, in some jurisdictions you have to base your planning on a report provided by an approved source, in our case even another pilot is not deemed an approved source ie you need a qualified met observer or approved automatic station.

[N75537]

Exactly, it will be really funny to show your iphone's weather app screenshot to the inspector in a SAFA

I couldn't find it in our books, but is funny there is no general rule as it doesn't seem that extraordinary, especially when flying outside Europe or the US...

[chevvron]

You could always file for Trinidad with Caracas as div.
Anyhow it sort of happens in the UK. Aircraft depart Teterborough just before closing time to reach Farnborough as they open knowing there's no METAR available until about 20 min before opening time, but having said that there are plenty of divs available in Southern England.

[BizJetJock]

For EASA-land operators, the regulation is CAT.OP.MPA.180

(c) The operator shall select two destination alternate aerodromes when:
(1) the appropriate weather reports and/or forecasts for the destination aerodrome indicate that during a period commencing one hour before and ending one hour after the estimated time of arrival, the weather conditions will be below the applicable planning minima; or
(2) no meteorological information is available.

Pretty straightforward. It is a while since 've operated to FARs, but I am sure it is the same somewhere.