How Airport Cameras Save Pilots From Bad Weather Data

Visual confirmation in flight planning plays a critical role when automated systems are ‘creatively optimistic.’

Meg Godlewski

Tuesday, January 06, 2026 at 12:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Heavy fog on a ramp [Credit: Meg Godlewski]

Key Takeaways:

Automated airport weather stations (ASOS/AWOS) can provide inaccurate or "creatively optimistic" reports, potentially leading pilots to misinterpret actual conditions and fly into danger.
Airport cameras serve as a crucial visual tool for pilots to verify reported weather, aiding in comprehensive pre-flight planning as required by cFAR 91.103.
Utilizing airport cameras, alongside other weather resources, enhances safety by helping pilots make informed go/no-go decisions and prevent flights based on misleading automated data.

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The old pilot adage about “it’s better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air than in the air wishing you were on the ground” is never more true than when the automated weather station at your home airport malfunctions.

I received a text message from a fellow CFI asking what current conditions were at the airport. I had been in the windowless classroom all morning. I walked out onto the ramp, took a look, and texted back, “Can’t see the ends of the runway due to fog.”