Post by TCU 2U2 on Mar 15, 2013 8:24:15 GMT -5
Thanks for input you guys (and gals) ... a summary of what was added:
- general rewording
- summary under each "non-reported element" at C level
- FAA OIG DOT fact sheet under ice pellets - link
- NTSB summary on Lex, KY accident - link
as always feel free to use for your specific needs, in part or whole.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 require air traffic controllers report the weather observations (to include required augmentation & backup of failed sensors when needed) instead of experienced certified contract weather observers.
If this goes into effect, the weather reported at all level A and B service standard airports will only be required to meet what is called "C level" service standards and air traffic controllers will be trained & certified as LAWRS (Limited Aviation Weather Reporting Station) observers, which will greatly reduce the amount of weather information reported.
The following is a list of just some of the weather data currently being reported when observed, that will not be (or greatly reduced) once certified contact weather observers are removed. This data is not part of C level service:
- Visibility increments of 1/8, 1/16 & 0
Example of a current report: 1/8SM FG
C report: M1/4SM FG
- Visibility is a vital element to the weather report, especially when it is very low.
- Sector visibility
Example of a current report: VIS E-S ½
C report: not reported
- Significant variations to visibility in the vicinity of the airport can greatly influence a pilot's decision to operate a flight.
- Variable sky condition
Example of a current report: BKN008 V SCT
C report: not reported
- Can aid a pilot's decision to operate a flight by showing whether cloud conditions may be improving or deteriorating.
- Cloud layers above 12,000 feet
Example of a current report: BKN140
C report: not reported
- Provides valuable information to pilots transitioning through the area, and also to other weather professionals.
- Significant cloud types including Cumulonimbus, Towering Cumulous, Standing Lenticular, Rotor Clouds.
Example of a current report: BKN037CB … RMKS CB OHD MOV E
C report: not reported
- Provides pilots with valuable information regarding the presence of thunderstorms, wind shear and severe turbulence and icing in the vicinity of these clouds
- Widespread dust, sand and other obstructions to visibility
Example of a current report: BLSN
C report: not reported
- Automated systems are unable to detect some obstructions to visibility.
- Volcanic eruptions
Example of a current report: MT AUGUSTINE VOLCANO 70 MILES SW ERUPTED 231505 LARGE ASH CLOUD EXTENDING TO APRX 30000 FEET MOVING NE
C report: not reported
- Although not a frequent event, no one can dispute the importance this element.
- Freezing drizzle versus freezing rain
Example of a current report: -FZDZ
C report: not reported
- Freezing drizzle is an extremely serious weather element. Icing encounters by most airborne aircraft constitutes emergency action.
- Ice pellets
Example of a current report: +PL
C report: not reported
- Ice pellets at the surface imply freezing rain aloft. Freezing rain can make an airplane fall out of the sky.
See fact sheet from FAA OIG DOT: www.oig.dot.gov/sites/dot/files/Miscellaneous_2.pdf
- Snow depth & snow increase remarks
Example of a current report: SNINCR 2/7 4/007
C report: not reported
- Snow depth, and it's accumulation rate, can warn a pilot not only of the severity of the snowfall, but of problems that could be encountered operating on the surface. If airport snow removal is not being accomplished, the flight may be unable to depart, or worse, land.
- Thunderstorm and lightning location and movement remarks
Example of a current report: FRQ LTGICCG OHD-S TS OHD-S MOV N
C report: LTG ALQDS
- Very important for a pilot needing to land or transition through an area to know this information.
- Observed significant weather not at the station remarks
Example of a current report: FRQ LTGCG DSNT N CB DSNT N
C report: not reported
- Even though weather may not be precisely at an airport, it still adversely affects operations arriving or departing.
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.
Several reports from NATCA spell out how sequester will impact the already busy staff in the tower:
www.natca.org/legislative.aspx?zone=Legislative%20Center&pID=3137#p3137
The contract weather observing program serves the nation well to assist in safe and efficient operations, as outlined in the DOT Budget Estimate (Federal Aviation Administration) for FY 2013:
Safety - Terminal Services (page 11)
-- Terminal services Provide the day-to-day management oversight and support for all terminal contract tower facilities and for contract weather services within Terminals three service areas to ensure safe and efficient operations.
Terminal Services Unit (page 12)
-- The Contract Weather Program provides quality weather monitoring, augmentation, and backup of automated weather systems (Automated Surface Observing system and Automated Weather Observation System), and ensures timely reporting and dissemination of rapidly changing weather conditions. The program provides technical oversight for 146 facilities, 28 contracts (and 15 vendors), and employs over 950 contract weather observers.
Full report can be found at:
www.dot.gov/sites/dot.dev/files/d....et_estimate.pdf
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. 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 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.
Lexington, KY tragedy of August 27, 2006 – NTSB summary: www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Summary/AAR0705.html
Since these regulations came into force in 1996, nothing has changed regarding the job description of a weather observer or an air traffic controller and very little has changed 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 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 in order to perform all the same functions of a weather observer, especially in times of poor weather conditions, is not only dangerously impractical but impossible.
Bad and changeable weather conditions are precisely the times when weather observers are busiest, and pilots need the very latest weather information to conduct safe takeoff and landing procedures. To require a controller to have the additional task of weather observing at precisely such times, compromises safety.
Contract weather observers take observations from the ground, providing an accurate description of weather conditions on the surface of the airport. Air traffic controllers, when providing C level service observations, will be in a tower cab that may be 300 feet or higher.
Your support is deeply appreciated in holding the FAA to the promises, which they made to the aviation community and the American public.
- general rewording
- summary under each "non-reported element" at C level
- FAA OIG DOT fact sheet under ice pellets - link
- NTSB summary on Lex, KY accident - link
as always feel free to use for your specific needs, in part or whole.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 require air traffic controllers report the weather observations (to include required augmentation & backup of failed sensors when needed) instead of experienced certified contract weather observers.
If this goes into effect, the weather reported at all level A and B service standard airports will only be required to meet what is called "C level" service standards and air traffic controllers will be trained & certified as LAWRS (Limited Aviation Weather Reporting Station) observers, which will greatly reduce the amount of weather information reported.
The following is a list of just some of the weather data currently being reported when observed, that will not be (or greatly reduced) once certified contact weather observers are removed. This data is not part of C level service:
- Visibility increments of 1/8, 1/16 & 0
Example of a current report: 1/8SM FG
C report: M1/4SM FG
- Visibility is a vital element to the weather report, especially when it is very low.
- Sector visibility
Example of a current report: VIS E-S ½
C report: not reported
- Significant variations to visibility in the vicinity of the airport can greatly influence a pilot's decision to operate a flight.
- Variable sky condition
Example of a current report: BKN008 V SCT
C report: not reported
- Can aid a pilot's decision to operate a flight by showing whether cloud conditions may be improving or deteriorating.
- Cloud layers above 12,000 feet
Example of a current report: BKN140
C report: not reported
- Provides valuable information to pilots transitioning through the area, and also to other weather professionals.
- Significant cloud types including Cumulonimbus, Towering Cumulous, Standing Lenticular, Rotor Clouds.
Example of a current report: BKN037CB … RMKS CB OHD MOV E
C report: not reported
- Provides pilots with valuable information regarding the presence of thunderstorms, wind shear and severe turbulence and icing in the vicinity of these clouds
- Widespread dust, sand and other obstructions to visibility
Example of a current report: BLSN
C report: not reported
- Automated systems are unable to detect some obstructions to visibility.
- Volcanic eruptions
Example of a current report: MT AUGUSTINE VOLCANO 70 MILES SW ERUPTED 231505 LARGE ASH CLOUD EXTENDING TO APRX 30000 FEET MOVING NE
C report: not reported
- Although not a frequent event, no one can dispute the importance this element.
- Freezing drizzle versus freezing rain
Example of a current report: -FZDZ
C report: not reported
- Freezing drizzle is an extremely serious weather element. Icing encounters by most airborne aircraft constitutes emergency action.
- Ice pellets
Example of a current report: +PL
C report: not reported
- Ice pellets at the surface imply freezing rain aloft. Freezing rain can make an airplane fall out of the sky.
See fact sheet from FAA OIG DOT: www.oig.dot.gov/sites/dot/files/Miscellaneous_2.pdf
- Snow depth & snow increase remarks
Example of a current report: SNINCR 2/7 4/007
C report: not reported
- Snow depth, and it's accumulation rate, can warn a pilot not only of the severity of the snowfall, but of problems that could be encountered operating on the surface. If airport snow removal is not being accomplished, the flight may be unable to depart, or worse, land.
- Thunderstorm and lightning location and movement remarks
Example of a current report: FRQ LTGICCG OHD-S TS OHD-S MOV N
C report: LTG ALQDS
- Very important for a pilot needing to land or transition through an area to know this information.
- Observed significant weather not at the station remarks
Example of a current report: FRQ LTGCG DSNT N CB DSNT N
C report: not reported
- Even though weather may not be precisely at an airport, it still adversely affects operations arriving or departing.
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.
Several reports from NATCA spell out how sequester will impact the already busy staff in the tower:
www.natca.org/legislative.aspx?zone=Legislative%20Center&pID=3137#p3137
The contract weather observing program serves the nation well to assist in safe and efficient operations, as outlined in the DOT Budget Estimate (Federal Aviation Administration) for FY 2013:
Safety - Terminal Services (page 11)
-- Terminal services Provide the day-to-day management oversight and support for all terminal contract tower facilities and for contract weather services within Terminals three service areas to ensure safe and efficient operations.
Terminal Services Unit (page 12)
-- The Contract Weather Program provides quality weather monitoring, augmentation, and backup of automated weather systems (Automated Surface Observing system and Automated Weather Observation System), and ensures timely reporting and dissemination of rapidly changing weather conditions. The program provides technical oversight for 146 facilities, 28 contracts (and 15 vendors), and employs over 950 contract weather observers.
Full report can be found at:
www.dot.gov/sites/dot.dev/files/d....et_estimate.pdf
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. 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 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.
Lexington, KY tragedy of August 27, 2006 – NTSB summary: www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Summary/AAR0705.html
Since these regulations came into force in 1996, nothing has changed regarding the job description of a weather observer or an air traffic controller and very little has changed 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 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 in order to perform all the same functions of a weather observer, especially in times of poor weather conditions, is not only dangerously impractical but impossible.
Bad and changeable weather conditions are precisely the times when weather observers are busiest, and pilots need the very latest weather information to conduct safe takeoff and landing procedures. To require a controller to have the additional task of weather observing at precisely such times, compromises safety.
Contract weather observers take observations from the ground, providing an accurate description of weather conditions on the surface of the airport. Air traffic controllers, when providing C level service observations, will be in a tower cab that may be 300 feet or higher.
Your support is deeply appreciated in holding the FAA to the promises, which they made to the aviation community and the American public.
