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NAATS Press Release: National Association of Air Traffic Controllers, NAATS, Announces: FAA is Deficient
in Improving Aviation Weather Graphics System WHEATON, Md., June 3 /PRNewswire/ -- On Wednesday, 6/3/98, USA Today had a front page article on GAO's report on the poor job the FAA does on making critical weather data available to pilots. The FAA has Air Traffic Controllers working in Flight Service Stations that are trained in providing weather information and avoiding hazardous weather like thunderstorms, turbulence and icing. However, like many of the FAA's systems, the computers used by Flight Service Air Traffic Controllers are 20+ years obsolete. These computers can not even access the internet. The FAA plans to replace this computer system but is years behind schedule and will deploy a system that can not depict aircraft position relative to hazardous weather. Aircraft Situational Display technology has been available for years but the FAA has not taken the lead to improve its weather avoidance systems that serve pilots. Aviation User Groups have repeatedly asked the FAA to offer such a service but to no avail. About 30% of air carrier accidents and 80% of general aviation accidents are caused by weather. The technology and trained personnel exist to improve safety. Passengers on airlines or aboard smaller aircraft often do not see the inner workings of the Air Traffic Control system but are concerned with what the FAA does to make each flight the safest it can be. Beside running obsolete computer equipment, the FAA does not have an adequate backup system when weather graphics go down. Last week, around 5:00 p.m., CDT, on 5/19/98, until the morning of 5/21/98, the FAA lost its weather graphics systems. Why? When the Galaxy IV Satellite malfunctioned, which shut down most pagers, the FAA lost its weather graphics displays. Flight Service Air Traffic Controllers were forced to use TV station reports, administrative computers that had internet access, and called the National Weather Service for charts to be faxed in. Pilots were given weather that was often 30 minutes to several hours old as Flight Service Air Traffic Controllers struggled to keep the system safe and operational. NAATS is the labor organization the represents Flight Service Air Traffic Controllers. These controllers provide pilots with weather information including real-time radar, turbulence and icing reports and severe weather advisories. SOURCE: National Association of
Air Traffic Controllers 6/4/98
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