Scenario Continued
1810Z: Based on observation and the information from FSS and Flight Watch, the PIC checks the sectional and decides descend to 5,500 feet and to deviate to the south, hoping to skirt around the weather. After about 45 minutes, he decides continuing to fly in an easterly direction is too risky. Using the sectional and the A/FD, he locates an airport near his route (Abilene) with surface observations reporting VMC, and with fuel, car rental, and lodging nearby. After one last call to FSS for the surface observation report, he enters the airport coordinates into his GPS and changes course. 1830Z: The PIC lands at the alternate airport in light rain. Once on the ground, he calls FSS via the 800 number and closes his flight plan. His flying is over for today.
Conclusion and Commentary Regardless of a lack of sophisticated avionics or AOC-like support, the GA pilot has a tremendous amount of information available before the flight departs. Published aviation periodicals (VFR sectional maps, A/FD’s) and full-time ubiquitous radio and telephone access can provide weather during the flight.
Flight Service Stations are the primary source of current data to the GA pilot. The periodic nature of weather data supplied to FSS’s can produce latencies which may be significant in the case of fast-developing weather. Weather data is typically provided by a contractor (e.g., Kavouras) in periodic updates, and by periodic surface (hourly) and atmospheric (winds done twice daily) observation. A near-real-time common weather source for the current FSS network and equipped aircraft would be a great benefit.
Scenario: Corporate Gulfstream IV. (FMS equipped)
Ensenada, Mexico -to- Love Field, TX. Operated IFR under FAR Part 135.
What information is available prior to departure? In addition to the general requirement given in FAR 91.103 for basic information pertaining to a flight, the FAR Part 135 IFR operator is required to use weather information from an “approved” source as given in FAR
135.213. Approved information comes from the National weather Service (NWS), or a source approved by the NWS or FAA. FSS and DUATS are approved sources. Since the aircraft is departing from a foreign city, the pilots of the flight use a third party supplier of flight planning services (such as Universal in Houston, TX) to provide additional weather information for the planned route of flight, as well as providing a liaison service with the fixed-base operator services for the airport in Ensenada, such as fuel, food, and hanger services.
Corporate Aviation Scenario 1400Z: Since the ABC Corporation Gulfstream IV N123AB primarily flies domestically, ABC only uses a third-party commercial flight planning service when flying internationally. The third party service provider will fax to the flight crew all the relevant information required for the flight, including: fuel requirements, an optimized routing, weather forecast along the route of flight, and recommended alternates. 1500Z: The PIC is notified that his passengers will be ready to go in 30 minutes. He calls the third-party flight planning service provider and notifies them they will depart at 1545Z. Meanwhile, the PIC checks the fueling process and enters the flight plan in the FMS. 1550Z: With the ABC execs on board, the PIC gets his taxi and takeoff clearance from the local control tower. In just a couple of minutes the flight is airborne and contacting ABQ center for permission to enter US air space.
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