Author Topic: ATC can't get the weather, but I could  (Read 6088 times)

Offline Jonathan_tcu

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ATC can't get the weather, but I could
« on: July 07, 2005, 09:38:04 PM »
This is interesting.  Montreal ACC was unable to give a pilot the metar for CYFB Iqaluit, he provided CYVP or Kuujuak.  Now, if anyone encountered a problem like this before, what would YOU do if YOU could find something that ATC or ACc could not?



Offline KSYR-pjr

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Re: ATC can't get the weather, but I could
« Reply #1 on: July 08, 2005, 09:58:39 AM »
Quote from: Jonathan_tcu
This is interesting.  Montreal ACC was unable to give a pilot the metar for CYFB Iqaluit, he provided CYVP or Kuujuak.  Now, if anyone encountered a problem like this before, what would YOU do if YOU could find something that ATC or ACc could not?


In the US, I would contact Flight Watch on 122.00 or Flight Service on their closest frequency (an IFR-certified GPS will provide the pilot with the frequency for the nearest FSS).  The advantage here is that these services can also give you satellite, radar, and nearby weather information.

It is very common in the US to find ATC facilities that *cannot* provide weather radar services and therefore cannot give advice on where to fly in their sector to avoid heavy thunderstorm cells.  This is due to the limitation of their equipment (think budget cuts).  Again, Flight Watch or FSS is your answer.

I suspect that Canada has a similar service, but I only flew to Canada once (just over Lake Ontario into Toronto), so I couldn't say for sure.

Offline thehotshotpilot

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ATC and weather
« Reply #2 on: July 14, 2005, 03:30:08 PM »
Yeah Flight Watch should be contacted for weather on 122.0, or FSS in somecases as someone else  has posted but also You need to watch out b/c the radar screen doesn't neccsary show weather and they could send a VFR pilot into IMC conditions. Remember in regards for weather, You have the final authority to operate your aircraft to keep the flight safe.

ATC may also be to busy to get weather or to read it out on a busy center or approach freq. It may be different in Canada but thats how it works in the us