Quote:
Originally Posted by Green Banana
Well, You must be used to flying in good weather. I am based at one of the worst airports for fog. So while you are burning hundreds of dollars of jet fuel and your passengers are setting their stop watches for a law suit while you "hold them captive" at the end of the runway, I will be in line at Starbucks, and my passengers will be free to walk the airport and stretch their legs. When you come back to the gate, that chief pilot you spoke of may want to have a word about your fuel conservation strategies.
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Don't your engines have on off switches?
Let's go back to the original question. The weather is being called lower than it appears to be as judged by the pilot (point number 4 of the question).
Let's compare it to a specific instance a few years ago in my early freight puke days. My little employer had won a fairly lucrative cancelled check route from a competitor who had previously had the business. Our main nightly hopscotch stopped along the way at the same airport that the competition who'd previously had the contract, called home. They ran the FBO there. They were also at the time, the sub-contracted keepers of weather observations and lighting control at the airport (AWOS replaced most of those relationships). We would stop (single pilot 135) load up metal boxes from a Pony Express truck and then leave ASAP to get headed to St. Louis pick up more and eventually meet the Fed clearing people's courier in KC.
The airport at the competitors home was a "non towered control zone" at the time (prior to Class A-G airspace). The rotating beacon's on/off status was the indication of the CZ status, IFR or VFR, as derived from cloud cover and viz reports that the FBO had taken. On weather days, it was often "convenient" for the FBO to "forget" to turn the beacon back off after weather had passed through. Sometimes they would not rush right out to take a special observation either. Because of the fallout after the PATCO strike, getting a clearance void time was still not so easy, but taking off and getting in the system was common place, so it was our policy to take off VFR whenever possible. On more than one occasion the FBO owners tried to coax the local GADO into violating our pilots who were taking off VFR even though the beacon was still on. Their accusations never stuck. The pilots determination of weather in that case stood. It was fairly easy to convince the FAA office people that there was a conflict of interest.
Back to the question, I doubt that it would be possible that AWOS and RVR's could both be totally erroneous. Nor can I imagine Ops Specs where at least some point RVR wouldn't be controlling. In the stated case however RVR isn't involved and the pilot doesn't agree with the observed weather. I wouldn't take off until I had either an observation that was legal or a notam of AWOS inop in hand. Given all the technology involved the potential of an AWOS failure might be an inarguable position.
Most of us 121 people just don't fly from these type airports, so here's a site that sheds some light on the equipment. Although interesting, it doesn't mention anything on AWOS unreliability:
AWOS - Aviation Weather Station
The last answer is interesting here as well:
Frequently Asked Questions about any AWOS
With all the innuendoes and accusations let's be clear, I would make a phone call to dispatch. I'd encourage him/her to call the airport manager and see what's up with AWOS, but that has nothing to do with being ready to go when the weather comes up. I may be sipping my utility grade airplane coffee too (I'll be sure to make my FO taste it first), but it will be in the run up block not the terminal. Do some of you people really think that every decision a captain makes has to meet with your approval? There is a reason for the chain of command. I encourage all of you who are unhappy with that reality to bid the left seat just as soon as your seniority allows.
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