acceptable Alt setting sources

[Let'sgoflying!]

Our asos is missing the alt setting, people are getting denied approaches. What are some acceptable sources?
There is a nearby airport but no provision in the iaps to use alternate.
Can a person be read, over the radio, the alt setting of an aircraft sitting on the airport?
There is a certified pair at the airport but not always someone around to read them.
Interestingly if you do not tell atc there is no alt set, you get cleared for the approach!

 

[poadeleted20]

Our asos is missing the alt setting, people are getting denied approaches. What are some acceptable sources?

The approach chart involved will tell you what alternate altimeter setting source is acceptable if the primary on-field source is out.

There is a nearby airport but no provision in the iaps to use alternate.

Then that alternative is out.

Can a person be read, over the radio, the alt setting of an aircraft sitting on the airport?

Not legally.

There is a certified pair at the airport but not always someone around to read them.

Then you'll have to work out a way to get someone to read them to the aircraft in flight.

Interestingly if you do not tell atc there is no alt set, you get cleared for the approach!

The fact that ATC clears you in that case does not make it legal for the pilot to fly the approach without the required altimeter setting.

I think you need to light a fire under the airport manager's butt to resolve the situation one way or another -- fix the ASOS, or have someone there to transmit the reading off the certified altimeter set over the CTAF.

 

[roncachamp]

Our asos is missing the alt setting, people are getting denied approaches. What are some acceptable sources?
There is a nearby airport but no provision in the iaps to use alternate.
Can a person be read, over the radio, the alt setting of an aircraft sitting on the airport?
There is a certified pair at the airport but not always someone around to read them.
Interestingly if you do not tell atc there is no alt set, you get cleared for the approach!

What airport?

 

[gismo]

Our asos is missing the alt setting, people are getting denied approaches. What are some acceptable sources?
There is a nearby airport but no provision in the iaps to use alternate.
Can a person be read, over the radio, the alt setting of an aircraft sitting on the airport?
There is a certified pair at the airport but not always someone around to read them.
Interestingly if you do not tell atc there is no alt set, you get cleared for the approach!

Getting the ASOS fixed would be the best option. Other than that you might be able to get the FAA to approve an alternate altimeter setting source such as a nearby airport or something only ATC has access to. With that, you'd have another option in case the ASOS has problems again after getting fixed.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

The airport manager (a member here) is all over it; he is the best there is.
Parts and repairs can take time out in the boonies....just so happened to fail during our small annual window of imc.

Can any pilot dial in the field elevation on the certified altimeters, read the setting from the fbo to inbounds? I am guessing some inane legal barrier prohibits this but just wonderin'.

 

[W. Stewart]

The approach chart involved will tell you what alternate altimeter setting source is acceptable if the primary on-field source is out..

This is a pet peeve of mine. Even at our home field, KZEF, which does not have an AWOS, the plate says to use the Winston-Salem altimeter setting. WHY DON'T THEY PRINT THE FREQUENCY ON THE PLATE?

Wells

 

[poadeleted20]

This is a pet peeve of mine. Even at our home field, KZEF, which does not have an AWOS, the plate says to use the Winston-Salem altimeter setting. WHY DON'T THEY PRINT THE FREQUENCY ON THE PLATE?

Now that is a pet peeve of mine, too. Just bumped into that down here in East Texas over the weekend -- had to go find the chart for the other airport in order to get the freq to get the altimeter setting.

 

[poadeleted20]

The airport manager (a member here) is all over it; he is the best there is.
Parts and repairs can take time out in the boonies....just so happened to fail during our small annual window of imc.

How 'bout getting your "best there is" airport manager to get the FAA to put an alternate source on the charts so you don't get shut down the next time the AWOS goes down?

Can any pilot dial in the field elevation on the certified altimeters, read the setting from the fbo to inbounds? I am guessing some inane legal barrier prohibits this but just wonderin'.

I'm not sure if that has to be done by a certified weather observer or not.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

How 'bout getting your "best there is" airport manager to get the FAA to put an alternate source on the charts so you don't get shut down the next time the AWOS goes down?

While a great idea I would think getting that done (with the FAA) to be not without difficulties, and I will probably be a much older man by the time it was accomplished.

I'm not sure

Whoa! Could this be the very first time you have ever been stumped with a forum question in all these years, Mr. Levy?!

 

[John Collins]

I'm not sure if that has to be done by a certified weather observer or not.

I don't think there is a requirement for any certification, other than the altimeters and equipment. At our FBO, there were two certified altimeters mounted on a vibrator table. To get an altimeter reading, the Kollsman setting was adjusted so that the altimeters both read the location elevation while the vibrator was running. IIRC, they had to be within a certain tolerance of each other and the average was taken.

 

[gismo]

While a great idea I would think getting that done (with the FAA) to be not without difficulties, and I will probably be a much older man by the time it was accomplished.

But you might still be flying and the ASOS might still go down.

Whoa! Could this be the very first time you have ever been stumped with a forum question in all these years, Mr. Levy?!

I was hoping Ron would reply to this question with another "I'm not sure...".