ATC said don't go

[BGSM]

I checked weather via phone and WSI and departed there was some yellow on the radar moving west to east at 30 and should move through prior to me hitting it since i am fighting a 40 knot headwind..My departure was delayed 45 minutes as i waited on the ramp for late cargo. I though it was a good thing they were late that would give the weather more time to move on. Departure handed me to center who asked if i had weather radar which i don;t its a freight plane. ATC advised there was an area of moderate to extreme precip ahead and with out weather radar recommend I don;t go through it and asked if i got a weather briefing, that surprised me. Plus the bad weather was farther south according to the brief. I decided the weather changed or I missed something and returned to my departure. I rechecked the weather via phone and the briefer said i would miss weather, the radar showed nothing were ATC said there was weather. I called ops and told them I would be even later and they didn't understand why ATC said. I departed and had no weather to deal with.

My questions are do radar sites vary? I have seen a big difference in whats on radar and once you get up there.Has this happened to anyone before? Will ATC stir up something to the FAA?
Did the controller not want to take the chance of working me through what he saw?(i know its not the primary job) I thought the whole thing was odd and i may of missed something and ATc saved my butt. Is there a site you can look up previous weather radar ? thanks for your input!!

 

[minitour]

I hear what you're saying. Quite a few times (typically when going VFR) I've been asked if I checked the weather...

The first few times it was "*sigh* yes sir, I know it's there...if it gets bad I'll diver to XYZ".

Typically, I now will want them to tell me what they've got and ask for a PIREP from someone in that area. I find PIREPS (current PIREPS) to be a fantastic source of information. If the guy in the G-V is getting tossed around, what am I going to feel in a bugsmasher?

Going IFR, it's been a different situation. Most of the time ATC has assumed (incorrectly) that I had wx radar on board. So while updating with FSS on the other radio, I'm constantly trying to get ATC to tell me what the guy ahead is seeing. I used to get pizzled when they sent me through wx, but now I realize it's my fault...not theirs.

Bottom line is I appreciate ATCs help whenever they can offer it and typically will listen to what they have to say.

...typically...I'm no lemming though.

-mini

 

[Flysher]

It seems like its the controller thats working at that time, Ive gone through some super heavy stuff before without ATC saying a word, and then other times they flip out about some level 3 stuff and make me divert around it.. guess some of them just dont want the possibility of something happening on their watch.

 

[KeroseneSnorter]

I checked weather via phone and WSI and departed there was some yellow on the radar moving west to east at 30 and should move through prior to me hitting it since i am fighting a 40 knot headwind..My departure was delayed 45 minutes as i waited on the ramp for late cargo. I though it was a good thing they were late that would give the weather more time to move on. Departure handed me to center who asked if i had weather radar which i don;t its a freight plane. ATC advised there was an area of moderate to extreme precip ahead and with out weather radar recommend I don;t go through it and asked if i got a weather briefing, that surprised me. Plus the bad weather was farther south according to the brief. I decided the weather changed or I missed something and returned to my departure. I rechecked the weather via phone and the briefer said i would miss weather, the radar showed nothing were ATC said there was weather. I called ops and told them I would be even later and they didn't understand why ATC said. I departed and had no weather to deal with.

My questions are do radar sites vary? I have seen a big difference in whats on radar and once you get up there.Has this happened to anyone before? Will ATC stir up something to the FAA?
Did the controller not want to take the chance of working me through what he saw?(i know its not the primary job) I thought the whole thing was odd and i may of missed something and ATc saved my butt. Is there a site you can look up previous weather radar ? thanks for your input!!

I have heard ATC give recommendations like that before to some folks. Most of the time it is to a pilot that seems confused or inexperienced on the radio. (poor radio work, screwy flight plans, erratic heading and alt control etc. ) I have never heard them do that to a pro pilot such as freighters, airlines, corporate etc. Normally they will recommend another way around it, or let you know what routes previous "Working" planes used to get through.

 

[ksu_aviator]

I had ATC tell me there was some moderate to heavy precip at my 12 o'clock and 15 miles last week. It was perfect VFR, not a cloud in the sky.