Installation Of Automated Weather Observing Systems By Faa At Commercial Airports Is Not Justified V. RCED-85-78

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RCED-85-78 1 (1985-07-29)

handle is hein.gao/gaobabffg0001 and id is 1 raw text is:

BY THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL

Report To The Chairman, Subcommittee On

Transportation, Committee On Appropriations

House Of Representatives

OF THE UNITED STATES

Installation Of Automated Weather Observing

Systems By FAA At Commercial Airports Is Not

Justified

Current surface weather observations at commercial airports made
by observers using equipment to measure or estimate nine weather
elements meet or exceed the Federal Aviation Administration's
(FAA's) operational requirements. These requirements are con-
sidered essential to providing airport and area aviation weather
forecasts required by law and federal aviation regulations and are
important in maintaining aviation safety at commercial airports.
As part of its National Airspace System plan to automate air traffic
control facilities in the United States by the year 2000, FAA plans to
install 304 automated weather observing systems (AWOSs) costing
$60 million at commercial airports across the country. Such
systems would collect weather data and distribute this information
to pilots, weather observers, and aviation weather forecasters.
GAO found that AWOS performance does not meet FAA's oper-
ational requirements for four weather elements and is not cost-
effective at commercial airports compared with the existing ob-
server system. Therefore, GAO recommends that the Secretary of
Transportation not request funds for installing AWOSs at
commercial airports until the system meets these requirements and
is more cost-effective than the existing weather observing system.

127545

GAO/RCED-85-78
JULY 29, 1985

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