When you get right down to it-the ground, that is-precise knowledge of local weather is the single critical factor determining whether your three-hour instrument flight is going to have a happy ending. Youll either get an easy peek at your flight-storys last page or itll become a cliffhanger at decision height, followed by a missed approach. Naturally, weather has a significant effect on the critical few minutes of an instrument approach (even a VFR approach), as well as our decision-making process. 288
AWOS/ASOS Lies
When you get right down to it-the ground, that is-precise knowledge of local weather is the single critical factor determining whether your three-hour instrument flight is going to have a happy ending. Youll either get an easy peek at your flight-storys last page or itll become a cliffhanger at decision height, followed by a missed approach. Naturally, weather has a significant effect on the critical few minutes of an instrument approach (even a VFR approach), as well as our decision-making process.
Key Takeaways:
- Automated weather observation systems (AWOS/ASOS) provide "fixed location, time-averaged" data, which can significantly misrepresent actual ceiling and visibility conditions compared to human observations.
- This discrepancy is most pronounced in dynamic or marginal weather, especially near water bodies or with haze, potentially leading to unexpected IFR conditions on approach and necessitating missed approaches.
- Pilots must understand these inherent limitations, gather supplemental weather information, exercise caution in changing conditions, and always be prepared for a go-around to ensure flight safety.
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