NOTICE OF LIMITATIONS--
Mogollon Airpark, Inc. makes no warranty, expressed or implied, as to
the accuracy of the below information and expressly disclaims liability
for the accuracy thereof.
The purpose of these instructions
is to provide
general information to airpark members and the public about current
weather conditions at Mogollon Airpark (AZ82) and to explain the
operation of the AWOS system at the airpark. These instructions
may be particularly useful to a pilot in planning a flight.
However, it should be noted that they are not intended to be solely
relied upon as a completely accurate depiction of existing airport
conditions.
Every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the information
contained therein is accurate. This
AWOS unit is NOT FAA certified and failure of the sensors or the
equipment processing the information may occur and produce unreliable
information. Accordingly, the information provided by the AWOS unit
should be considered advisory only.
Also, the weather data provided here only reflects conditions at the
specified site. Because of Arizona weather patterns, conditions can vary
greatly in a small area: i.e., weather conditions a few miles away from
the sensor can be completely different. Therefore, the user is cautioned
against using this data as a sole source for airport weather
information. The user should obtain the latest information from
all
available sources prior to flight.
Obtaining Weather Data
Since this
AWOS utilizes a multicom frequency (122.90), it does not broadcast
weather data continuously. It is a pilot activated on demand
system.
We are all accustomed to calling Unicom at an
uncontrolled field and requesting an airport advisory. The
attendant follows radio etiquette. He waits for the frequency to
be clear and then broadcasts advisories of barometric pressure, wind
direction and speed, favored runway, etc. While he is
broadcasting, pilots in the area listen and wait for him to complete the
broadcast to avoid stepping on him.
The Super AWOS works the same
way but without the attendant. To obtain the weather data, the
pilot while on 122.90 keys his mike three times. The AWOS listens to the
frequency. If it is clear, it then broadcasts barometric pressure,
wind direction and speed, favored runway, density altitude, etc.
It adjusts to frequency congestion. It does not stop broadcasting
if a pilot steps on it since that would be poor radio etiquette on the
part of the pilot. Some other pilot may have previously requested
the information and should be able to expect to receive it without
blockage from some overly impatient aviator. While the AWOS
function and reception from the airpark has been tested to twenty miles,
the actual range for transmission and reception will vary with aircraft
and radio and antenna installations. It is recommended that each
aircraft operator experiment with their unique aircraft and radio
installation to establish optimum AWOS availability.
It has been found that the pace of the mike clicks has an effect on the
response of the AWOS to activation. It is recommended that the
individual practice activating the AWOS weather briefing as well as the
radio check feature.
Radio Check Feature
The AWOS system has a radio check feature, which can be used to verify
proper functioning of an aircraft radio. To activate the feature,
on 122.90, key the mike four times. The AWOS will reply, “radio
check.” The pilot then broadcasts a short message. The AWOS
will then replay ten seconds of the message. This replay can be
heard from any point on the airport. A suggested radio check
message would be, “ Aircraft radio check departure point runway 21.”
Anyone on the airport listening to 122.90 will hear the AWOS rebroadcast
of the message.
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