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Aviation Weather Services A Call For Federal Leadership and Action (1995) / Chapter Skim
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Appendix E: ASOS Assessment
Pages 82-85

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From page 82...
... For example, a human weather observer assesses ceiling and visibility by looking at the entire visible sky at a single point in time. ASOS, on the other hand, assesses ceiling by observing a small section of the sky directly overhead and integrating over time, and the ASOS visibility sensor measures conditions between a transmitter and receiver that are less than 3 feet apart.
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From page 83...
... Human weather observers must augment ASOS readings at locations, such as major airports, that require complete weather observations. As mentioned above, the FAA and NWS are developing automated instruments to address user needs for information on thunderstorms/lightning, freezing rain, and RVR.
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From page 84...
... In the past, as soon as conditions improved, the airport's human weather observer would issue an updated visibility observation that would petit the resumption of flight operations. However, if the official source of airport weather observations is an ASOS unit, then FAA regulations require that controllers wait until ASOS reports that conditions are acceptable (unless the unit is malfunctioning and they report it out of senice, in which case it can not be used as a source of oilcan observations until it is serviced)
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From page 85...
... Boston: American Meteorological Society. 85 NWS (National Weather Service)
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Key Terms

  • human weather
  • weather observers
  • weather observations
  • aviation weather
  • asos visibility

  • meteorological conditions
  • sixth conference
  • traffic controllers
  • asos readings
  • held january

  • air traffic
  • asos unit
  • override asos
  • regulations require
  • stopped commissioning

  • weather observer
  • grant controllers
  • flight operations
  • correct deficiencies
  • federal aviation

  • faa regulations
  • asos sites
  • automated surface
  • rain sensor
  • weather conditions

  • assesses ceiling
  • air carriers
  • certified weather
  • asos data
  • freezing rain


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