Post by TCU 2U2 on Mar 7, 2013 9:41:51 GMT -5
With input from several sources, I adjusted the congress letter a bit to make it more general for the stakeholders, etc ...
Also would attach the power point file.
If anyone can think of any other changes needed, please post.
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As you are aware, the Federal Aviation Administration has begun making budget cuts due to the sequester.
One plan to reduce their budget is to have air traffic controllers report the weather observations (to include augment & backup of failed sensors, when needed) instead of experienced certified contract weather observers.
The weather reported at all Level A and B service standard airports will only be required to meet what are called the LAWRS (Limited Aviation Weather Reporting Station) requirements, which will greatly reduce the amount of weather information reported.
A list of weather data that will not be reported once certified contact weather observers are removed, as this data is not part of the LAWRS report:
- Visibility increments of 1/8, 1/16 & 0
- Sector visibility
- Variable sky condition
- Cloud layers above 12,000 feet
- Significant cloud types (CB & TCU)
- Widespread dust, sand and other obstructions
- Volcanic eruptions
- Freezing drizzle versus freezing rain
- Ice pellets
- Snow depth and snow increase remarks
- Thunderstorm and lightning location and movement remarks
- Observed significant weather not at the station remarks
These changes are scheduled to go into effect by July 31, 2013 (see attached power point presentation for FAA western region).
I am seeking your help in this matter to halt this action, as safety would be compromised if the contract weather observers are removed and the responsibilities are tasked with an already overworked and understaffed control tower.
In 1996 the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the National Weather Service (NWS) and the community of users of services which the FAA and NWS supplies agreed upon regulations which would govern the quality of weather observation services that are provided at airports across the nation. These regulations were governed by Executive Order 12866 (EO 12866). EO 12866 specifically prohibited the degradation of weather services due to the modernization and consolidation of NWS offices.
These regulations were published in the Federal Register in June 1996. In short, the regulations stated the responsibility for providing weather observation services at the nation’s airports would be transferred from the NWS to the FAA. The quality of the weather services to be provided were determined by several factors, among which include, the amount of air traffic the airport receives, the rating of the air traffic control tower at the airport, and the number of severe weather events the location experiences.
Accordingly the airports were scored with a letter grade, which defined the services they would receive. In accordance with EO 12866 these service levels were graded A though D. These letter scores indicated whether the airport was to receive a purely automated weather observation derived from the Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) and denoted by a D score. If air traffic control personnel provide limited augmentation and backup service for the ASOS, the airport was given a level C score … aka … LAWRS. Airports provided with a contract weather office (CWO) in which a dedicated certified weather observer would provide full-scale augmentation and backup of the ASOS are labeled as level A or B score.
The level of weather service (e.g. A, B, C, and D) provided by the FAA generally corresponded to the size of the airport and the amount of traffic they received. Therefore, the larger airports around the nation were determined to be at a service level A and B, and as such have been provided with a full time contract weather observer to ensure the accuracy of weather reports provided to the airlines and the public.
According to the service level agreement air traffic controllers at service level A and B airports were restricted from taking weather observations due to the safety issues involved and the air traffic delays which would result by having an air traffic controller do two jobs at one time; that of a weather observer and an air traffic controller. The national air traffic controllers union (NATCA) has in the past, rejected the notion of over burdening air traffic controllers with the additional workload of a weather observer, citing safety as the most important factor in their decision.
Since these regulations came into force in 1996, nothing has changed regarding the job description of a weather observer, an air traffic controller and very little with the capabilities of the automated weather system (ASOS). However, in spite of these facts the FAA is currently looking to remove certified weather observers from large airports (those in accordance with EO 12866 which have an A or B service level ranking) and add extra duties to the current staff of air traffic controllers.
If a decision is made to in fact transfer services at level A and B airports from contract weather observers to air traffic controllers it would not only violate EO 12866 but also will result in real air safety and operational issues. The inevitable result of these air safety and operational issues would be an increase in aircraft accidents as well as time delays for airlines flying in and out of the nation’s busiest airports. It should be noted here that most aviation fatalities are related to weather events.
The regulations which currently govern the quality of weather services around the nation according to EO 12866 were agreed upon by the FAA, the NWS and a user group which include:
The Air Transportation Association (ATA)
Aircraft Owners and Private Pilot Association (AOPA)
Airline Pilot Association (ALPA)
American Association of Aircraft Executives (AAAE)
Aircraft Dispatchers Federation (ADF)
AOPA Air safety Foundation (ASF)
Airports Council International (ACI)
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA, Helicopter Association International (HAI)
National Business Aviation Association (NBAA)
Allied Pilots Association (APA)
General Aviation Manufactures Association (GAMA)
National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO)
Alaska Aviation Safety Foundation (AASF)
Regional Airline Association (RAA)
These regulations have served the nation well since they were implemented in 1996, however the FAA now intends to explore ways to renege on the promise they made to abide by these regulations which are documented in the Federal Register in June 1996.
To require an air traffic controller at one of the busiest airports in the nation to interrupt their job of controlling air traffic to perform the duties of a weather observer, especially in times of poor weather conditions is not only impractical but impossible.
Your support is deeply appreciated in holding the FAA to the promises, which they made to the aviation community and the American public.
Also would attach the power point file.
If anyone can think of any other changes needed, please post.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
As you are aware, the Federal Aviation Administration has begun making budget cuts due to the sequester.
One plan to reduce their budget is to have air traffic controllers report the weather observations (to include augment & backup of failed sensors, when needed) instead of experienced certified contract weather observers.
The weather reported at all Level A and B service standard airports will only be required to meet what are called the LAWRS (Limited Aviation Weather Reporting Station) requirements, which will greatly reduce the amount of weather information reported.
A list of weather data that will not be reported once certified contact weather observers are removed, as this data is not part of the LAWRS report:
- Visibility increments of 1/8, 1/16 & 0
- Sector visibility
- Variable sky condition
- Cloud layers above 12,000 feet
- Significant cloud types (CB & TCU)
- Widespread dust, sand and other obstructions
- Volcanic eruptions
- Freezing drizzle versus freezing rain
- Ice pellets
- Snow depth and snow increase remarks
- Thunderstorm and lightning location and movement remarks
- Observed significant weather not at the station remarks
These changes are scheduled to go into effect by July 31, 2013 (see attached power point presentation for FAA western region).
I am seeking your help in this matter to halt this action, as safety would be compromised if the contract weather observers are removed and the responsibilities are tasked with an already overworked and understaffed control tower.
In 1996 the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the National Weather Service (NWS) and the community of users of services which the FAA and NWS supplies agreed upon regulations which would govern the quality of weather observation services that are provided at airports across the nation. These regulations were governed by Executive Order 12866 (EO 12866). EO 12866 specifically prohibited the degradation of weather services due to the modernization and consolidation of NWS offices.
These regulations were published in the Federal Register in June 1996. In short, the regulations stated the responsibility for providing weather observation services at the nation’s airports would be transferred from the NWS to the FAA. The quality of the weather services to be provided were determined by several factors, among which include, the amount of air traffic the airport receives, the rating of the air traffic control tower at the airport, and the number of severe weather events the location experiences.
Accordingly the airports were scored with a letter grade, which defined the services they would receive. In accordance with EO 12866 these service levels were graded A though D. These letter scores indicated whether the airport was to receive a purely automated weather observation derived from the Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) and denoted by a D score. If air traffic control personnel provide limited augmentation and backup service for the ASOS, the airport was given a level C score … aka … LAWRS. Airports provided with a contract weather office (CWO) in which a dedicated certified weather observer would provide full-scale augmentation and backup of the ASOS are labeled as level A or B score.
The level of weather service (e.g. A, B, C, and D) provided by the FAA generally corresponded to the size of the airport and the amount of traffic they received. Therefore, the larger airports around the nation were determined to be at a service level A and B, and as such have been provided with a full time contract weather observer to ensure the accuracy of weather reports provided to the airlines and the public.
According to the service level agreement air traffic controllers at service level A and B airports were restricted from taking weather observations due to the safety issues involved and the air traffic delays which would result by having an air traffic controller do two jobs at one time; that of a weather observer and an air traffic controller. The national air traffic controllers union (NATCA) has in the past, rejected the notion of over burdening air traffic controllers with the additional workload of a weather observer, citing safety as the most important factor in their decision.
Since these regulations came into force in 1996, nothing has changed regarding the job description of a weather observer, an air traffic controller and very little with the capabilities of the automated weather system (ASOS). However, in spite of these facts the FAA is currently looking to remove certified weather observers from large airports (those in accordance with EO 12866 which have an A or B service level ranking) and add extra duties to the current staff of air traffic controllers.
If a decision is made to in fact transfer services at level A and B airports from contract weather observers to air traffic controllers it would not only violate EO 12866 but also will result in real air safety and operational issues. The inevitable result of these air safety and operational issues would be an increase in aircraft accidents as well as time delays for airlines flying in and out of the nation’s busiest airports. It should be noted here that most aviation fatalities are related to weather events.
The regulations which currently govern the quality of weather services around the nation according to EO 12866 were agreed upon by the FAA, the NWS and a user group which include:
The Air Transportation Association (ATA)
Aircraft Owners and Private Pilot Association (AOPA)
Airline Pilot Association (ALPA)
American Association of Aircraft Executives (AAAE)
Aircraft Dispatchers Federation (ADF)
AOPA Air safety Foundation (ASF)
Airports Council International (ACI)
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA, Helicopter Association International (HAI)
National Business Aviation Association (NBAA)
Allied Pilots Association (APA)
General Aviation Manufactures Association (GAMA)
National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO)
Alaska Aviation Safety Foundation (AASF)
Regional Airline Association (RAA)
These regulations have served the nation well since they were implemented in 1996, however the FAA now intends to explore ways to renege on the promise they made to abide by these regulations which are documented in the Federal Register in June 1996.
To require an air traffic controller at one of the busiest airports in the nation to interrupt their job of controlling air traffic to perform the duties of a weather observer, especially in times of poor weather conditions is not only impractical but impossible.
Your support is deeply appreciated in holding the FAA to the promises, which they made to the aviation community and the American public.
