"Going for the Visual"

We have some airports that have AWOS, but we don't get any of
that info into our computer, but the pilot can receive it.
We have a couple that we have no weather reporting, but the pilot
can get it from their company on the ground, and they let us know.
And theres a couple that MAYBE they can get someone to answer
unicom and get the weather.
There are only a few left I can think of that have no SIAP, no AWOS,
and lucky to have anything living within 20nm of it. Those pilots
usually know what they are dealing with way in advance and have
done it regularly and cancel way out. They arent going to get a
contact approach, those are the ones that will on occasion ask for
a cruise clearance, but those are also airports with sometimes no
phones and no cellular coverage.
In the end it's up to the pilot to get the weather, and if it's not
available we have to advise them of that, too.
Luckily the weather at those airports are VFR probably 350 days
out of the year, but talk about remote. One guy called from a
phonebooth, needed a clearance, but also time to drive back to the
airport (30mins away), get started and go. A couple have recently
worked out private approaches and someone available on the
ground associated with the airplane to get them the weather, Lifeguard
flights usually, with an employee of the hospital nearby giving them
the conditions.
Chris


"Steven P. McNicoll" wrote in message
ink.net...

"SeeAndAvoid" wrote in message
link.net...

It may be shorter, but we are required to know the other two items:
that you have the current weather (atis) and that you have the airport
in sight.


How are you going to know the current weather at fields without weather
reporting?



Can skip that info if pilot advises he has the ATIS, but since the
rule says the controller shall advise of the approach on initial
contact or as soon as possible thereafter, the pilot has to advise
of the ATIS on his initial contact. Most airports I do approaches
to dont have an ATIS, so it's a moot point.

See 7110.65 Par 4-7-10
http://www.faa.gov/atpubs/ATC/Chp4/atc0407.html#4-7-1

4-7-10. APPROACH INFORMATION

a. Both en route and terminal approach control sectors shall provide
current approach information to aircraft destined to airports for which
they
provide approach control services. This information shall be provided on
initial contact or as soon as possible thereafter. Approach information
contained in the ATIS broadcast may be omitted if the pilot states the
appropriate ATIS code or items 3-5 below may be omitted for pilots
destined
to uncontrolled airports when they advise receipt of the automated
weather;
otherwise, issue approach information by including the following:

1. Approach clearance or type approach to be expected if two or more
approaches are published and the clearance limit does not indicate which
will be used.

2. Runway if different from that to which the instrument approach is
made.

3. Surface wind.

4. Ceiling and visibility if the reported ceiling at the airport of
intended landing is below 1,000 feet or below the highest circling
minimum,
whichever is greater, or the visibility is less than 3 miles.

5. Altimeter setting for the airport of intended landing.


I'm going to an uncontrolled field without weather reporting. How are you
going to comply with that paragraph?