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Is weather required to issue an approach clearance

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Bernoulli

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 4, 2003
Posts
227
Hey ATC folks. I was wondering if the weather is required at an airport for you to issue an IFR approach clearance to that airport. For instance, Lets say that pilot reports indicate that the weather is clear and a million, however a non-towered airport ASOS or AWOS is out of service. Can you clear a pilot for a precision or non precision approach to that airport? Thanks in advance for any serious answers.
 
without going into the specifics, I'm pretty sure the pilot is required to advise ATC that he has the weather and NOTAMs for that airport. Can ATC regulate how that pilot got his wx? Not really. He could lie and say he got it with the AWOS OTS, or he could call a guy on the ground for some observations, etc.

I guess to clarify, are you asking if weather REPORTING is required for the clearance, or are you asking if ATC needs to know the weather? It's no on the latter, and pretty sure it's no on the former.
 
It depends are you part 91, 135 or 121, there are differences for each of the regs
 
ATC doesn't care if you are 91/135 or 121. Few controllers know the regulatory differences and even fewer care. In the entire 7110.65 ATC bible there is almost no mention of the above. ATC provides separation and sequencing and those minima dont change with your carrier cert; besides with a few exceptions ATC really prefers to avoid policing the FARs. Below is the citation from FAA 7110.65S regarding ensuring weather receipt...

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. For pilots destined to an airport without ATIS, items 3-5 below may be omitted after the pilot advises 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.
[SIZE=-2]REFERENCE-
FAAO JO 7110.65, Chapter 2http://www.faa.gov/airports_airtraf...ons/atpubs/ATC/Chp2/atc0201.html#1CKpt279atcn, Section 7http://www.faa.gov/airports_airtraf...ions/atpubs/ATC/Chp2/atc0207.html#ZaAXt45atcn, Altimeter Settings.[/SIZE]

b. Upon pilot request, controllers shall inform pilots of the frequency where automated weather data may be obtained and, if appropriate, that airport weather is not available.
 
You are correct, ATC does not care, it is up to the PIC to determine if it is legal to make the approach.
 

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