Automated ATIS

pclancy

Is there such thing as an autmated ATIS that could run at an unmanned helipad and update itself automatically? Somewhere with a good few movements a day but not enough to justify its own controller, just be handy for the pilots to hear the wind as they approached which is often varied from the wind at the local airport.

tippilot

The short answer is yes, but you still need the associated weather station, not to mention licencing a particular frequency.

tippilot

By the way, a windsock is a much cheaper solution!

pclancy

Yeah there's a windsock there but we were thinking it would be nice give a heads up about the wind from further away and for IFR flights in crappy weather.

Oscar Bravo

It would be handy.Often for example there might be a chopper en route to Achill Island from example,Athlone.Calls Knock for transit through zone.Then on finals at Achill,Knock tower would give him the wind at the field.A fair distance between the two.And its not just one or two choppers you get going that way!!

tippilot

It's definitely possible. Many airport ATIS systems give automated weather reports during out of hours periods. Usually starts with the phrase "automated weather report". The only issues that spring to mind are licence related. The landing site itself may need to be licenced in order to be allocated a frequency. Also the system itself would need to be approved for aviation use, both from a regulatory point of view and also insurance wise. It would be important not to leave the site owner vulnerable to liability arising from a system failure/malfunction.

pclancy

Cant seem to find anyone that makes them through Google.

Its a fully CAA licenced hospital helipad and we'd go through the process of applying for a radio licence and unique frenquency for it, I gues once we had an idea of how much one of the units cost we would know if it was financially viable. Wellington gets some amazing winds (gusting 70kts-120kmh today!) so anything to assit the rescue choppers would be great. The airports only 3 nm away but can often have different wind speed/direction. We're not so bothered about cloud/temp/dewpoint etc its more reporting the wind we're after.

tippilot

Definitely possible. Good idea given the location and use of the helipad. My first point of contact would be the NZ CAA.

A less complicated solution would be to request the allocation of a comms frequency. I would assume that the hospital is aware of "inbounds"? With a simple wind measurement station installed, updates could be passed to inbound aircraft by a handheld ICOM or similar.

There may not even be a requirement for a frequency. Given the use as a hospital helipad, passing reports to an inbound aircraft on the emergency channel 121.5 would be completely acceptable.

Very easy to implement short term, keeping in mind a long term goal of installing an automatic system.

Anything that smooths the way for time a critical air ambulance flight is a fantastic idea.

tippilot

A range of options here that can be tailored to individual requirements, from portable to permanent:

http://www.coastalenvironmental.com/aviation-weather-stations.shtml

Good luck!

searescue

This is in New Zealand....might help: http://www.cnd.co.nz/