Aug. 5, 2020
Fifty-two new aviation weather cameras are now live in Colorado to help pilots mitigate the risk of adverse weather conditions, with four cameras installed at each of the Colorado Division of Aeronautics’ network of 13 Mountain Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) sites.
The initiative is the result of a partnership between the Colorado Division of Aeronautics and the FAA’s Alaska Weather Camera Program – a network of over 230 camera sites. The Colorado camera sites are the first in the U.S. outside of Alaska.
“We’ve learned from the Alaska Weather Camera Program how critical weather cameras are for pilots,” said Heidi Williams, NBAA’s director of air traffic services and infrastructure. “This is the logical expansion of a low-cost program that has been very successful in areas with frequent adverse weather conditions. These cameras provide real-time information in critical areas where live weather information was not available previously.”
The camera program allows pilots not only to view weather conditions in real-time but to play back a loop of past images to analyze weather trends. The website provides one-stop access to METARs, TAFs, pilot reports, radar imagery and more.
The Colorado Division of Aeronautics funded the camera initiative with $226,000 under a reimbursable agreement with the FAA.
“We’re thrilled to see the FAA embracing this technology in the lower 48. These cameras will be a real asset to safety for aviators and passengers in the state of Colorado,” said Williams.
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.