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There's an exciting, FAA-approved NextGen AWOS system installed
at over 70 airports and heliports across the United States
It's called SuperAWOS. SuperAWOS does a lot more than your traditional
AWOS
So let me take a moment to show off
some of its unique features
SuperAWOS provides four primary services to pilots;
It greets inbound pilots informing them of its presence and how to use it,
advisories including
required weather, traffic and other information,
A complete two-way radio check and Pre-flight planning information for pilots.
SuperAWOS is like having a pilot and weather observer
standing by your airport 24/7 always ready to serve your pilots.
As I am approaching any airport my first concern is to avoid a mid-air collision
Because I've just tuned to the Unicom frequency I have no idea what other
aircraft may already be in the area or what they are doing.
Instead of going off frequency to listen to a traditional AWOS, with SuperAWOS
I stay right on the local traffic frequency listening for traffic.
When it's this quiet I always make a blind call to the frequency
"8-6-1-2-1 Inbound, request advisory" "Good evening, this is Potomac Airfield"
"Automated advisory" "Wind, 280 at 4"
"Altimeter 3-0-0-2" "Conditions favor runway 24"
"Right traffic, Pilot's discretion." SuperAWOS actually noticed
No one responded to me, so it did! SuperAWOS just gave me
All the information I need: the runway with the best headwind
for landing or takeoff, a reminder to use right traffic for runway
24
and "pilot's discretion" tells me
there probably isn't anyone else in the area, so I can now set up for runway 24
"For further services click your mic 3 times for an advisory"
"4 times for radio check." Because the frequency was quiet
in addition to greeting me, the system also decided there was also time
to explain how to use it. 3 clicks activates an advisory
(3 radio mic clicks) "Potomac Airfield Automated advisory"
"Wind 280 at 4," "Altimeter 3-0-0-2"
Notice how the message became shorter. Most of the time you just get the most
minimal information SuperAWOS adds other parameters
only as they become important like visibility or density altitude.
When they're not important it drops them out of the Unicom chatter entirely.
"Potomac Airfield, updated Advisory"
"Wind now 280 at 21, caution, crosswind" "Wind shear"
SuperAWOS even knows how conditions affect the pilot.
Because the winds shifted significantly since the last call
SuperAWOS automatically informed me that things have changed.
"Crosswind" tells me to anticipate strong wind component across the runway,
"Wind shear" means I can expect significant fluctuations of my airspeed on final
because of these warnings I can plan accordingly
insuring the greatest margin of safety.
By staying on Unicom I can maintain
continuous traffic awareness by listening to position reports
of other aircraft. SuperAWOS brings the other information
I need right onto the Unicom so I can keep monitoring traffic.
When the airport gets busy, SuperAWOS adapts transmissions only giving
the most critical information based on what the pilot needs right now
adjusted for the level of frequency congestion.
It gives me just the information I need, at just the time I need it
and no more. SuperAWOS is continuously adapting the
balance between safety information and Unicom congestion.
(3 clicks) "Potomac Airfield, automated advisory�
�Wind, 280 at 14� "Altimeter, 2-9-9-9,
�for runway, listen for traffic." "Listen for traffic" tells me there are
other aircraft in the airport area, and I need to pay attention to what those aircraft
are doing. In low visibility, IFR conditions like this
I can't see anything outside My course comes from following
GPS, VORs, etc.
When I'm ready to land at my destination I descend down that airport's
instrument approach procedure, an electronic 3D course which takes me
safely down to just above the runway if I can see the airport before
I get to the bottom of the procedure, Decision Height in an ILS or Minimum
Descent Altitude on a non- precision approach, I land. If I get to the bottom
of the procedure and can't see the airport
I do a missed approach and either try again, or go elsewhere.
When visibility becomes important SuperAWOS adds visibility to its message
(3 clicks) "Potomac Airfield, automated advisory,
Wind 200 at 4, visibility 2 miles Altimeter 2-9-9-9"
All IFR operations need local altimeter to maintain clearance
from unseen obstructions below and commercial operators also need to
know the visibility is above minimums before they are authorized
to start down the approach SuperAWOS has already told me
I am well above minimums so I know what to expect on landing.
Every flight is a series of decisions. At the airport my first decision
is to determine which runway gives me better headwind to shorten my takeoff roll and
maximize my rate of climb SuperAWOS only answers
with the most critical information BUT, if I want to force all of the weather
information I can simply follow the first request with another three clicks
(3 clicks)
"Potomac Airfield, automated advisories, Wind 280 at 14
�visibility 2 miles� �Altimeter 2-9-9-9�
(3 clicks) �Potomac Airfield, extended advisory, �
Wind, 280 at 14 Caution, crosswind, visibility, 2 miles,
�Temperature 10, dew point, minus 8 Celsius �
�Altimeter 2-9-9-9� �Density Altitude, 7,500"
Once I leave the ground my only contact
with other aircraft or air traffic control will be through my radios
therefore before I take off, I always like to make sure
that my controls are free clear I also confirm
I am transmitting and receiving clearly with a radio check
this is especially critical for IFR and for a training environment
where loss of Comm only discovered after take-off can suddenly become critical
4 clicks activates the radio check
(four clicks) "Transmit radio check" "1-2-1 check Comm 1"
"1-2-1 check Comm 1" "Power 10 of 10"
SuperAWOS's unique "echo check" allows me to actually hear how my
transmissions are sent and received by others to my aircraft.
If the frequency isn't too busy SuperAWOS adds a relative power figure
A great way to spot a radio problem before a takeoff
When high temperature or high altitude significantly affect aircraft take off
SuperAWOS adds a warning of density altitude
to my pre takeoff radio check when time on frequency permits.
(4 clicks) "Transmit radio check"
"1-2-1 check Comm 1"
"1-2-1 check Comm 1" "Caution, Density Altitude 7,000."
This is a real life saver, especially at high-altitude airports
when most density altitude accidents occur. If the frequency gets busy,
there's another way to do a quick radio check just click four times and start immediately
(4 clicks) "1-2-1 check Comm 1"
"1-2-1 check Comm 1" "Potomac traffic, 86121 is taking
the active, Potomac." SuperAWOS does something else special,
It detects aircraft 121.5MHz ELTs
which no one else is listening to any more.
It's reassuring to know that if you have an accident late at night
or when nobody's around a SuperAWOS scans for your aircraft's ELT
and reports directly to Air Force rescue for the quickest coordinated response.
For flight planning, pilots need to know what to expect on route and destination
Weather information from all SuperAWOS
sites is gathered together centrally by satellite to our servers
where it is available to pilots by telephone and by web
and over an ever-expanding list of additional whether networks.
When a forecast suggests IFR conditions are likely
pilots are required to file a backup or alternate airport in case they can't
make it into their primary destination. Private and commercial operators are
all authorized to use any and all forecasts
to make this determination. Traditionally AWOS systems were designed
primarily as scientific stations providing slow moving averages
for trend analysis and for national forecast models.
SuperAWOS is all about aviation. For example, real-time winds,
like a talking wind sock, plus AWOS winds remotely for flight planning.
Pilots sometimes ask why SuperAWOS doesn't give ceiling over Unicom
there are a couple of good reasons. Although interesting,
ceiling hasn't been a flight requirement since 1967.
Accepted sensors are terribly expensive for the airport to maintain
and frankly, laser ceilingometers, which only look at one tiny point in the sky
can only be so accurate.
Pilots are also required to have temperature but every aircraft
already has this on board. The only parameters actually needed
to be certified to unlock flight operations are altimeter
and visibility. Everything else can be advisory.
In Fact, SuperAWOS is the first AWOS designed specifically for aviation
BY airport owners and pilots FOR airport owners and pilots.
not only does the SuperAWOS do everything a traditional AWOS can do
SuperAWOS does a whole lot more. That's why we call it
SuperAWOS! We're proud of the system's many unique
and patented features and hope you will come join our many other airports.
Feel free to see our website at www.superawos.com
or call us that 800 207 8999.
We'd love to hear from you! Happy landings,
and let us know what you think, thanks!