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General Weather/Earth Sciences Topics => Aviation Weather => Topic started by: W3DRM on June 17, 2015, 12:02:17 AM

Title: FAA Aviation Webcams for Alaska
Post by: W3DRM on June 17, 2015, 12:02:17 AM
This is great timing. I was sitting in my doctor's office this morning and noticed an FAA Safety magazine so I picked it up. One of the first articles was about how the FAA has installed webcams at many of the major and remote airports/landing-strips throughout Alaska. The purpose of them is for the pilots to be able get a visual clue about the weather at their target airport and for alternates along their route should they be needed. Many of the remote airports have little, if any, radio communications so the webcams tell the weather story in 10-minute increments. I wonder how they get their webcam images uploaded from these remote sites where I am almost certain they don't have any Internet services unless it is via a satellite link.

The link for this service follows:
Title: Re: FAA Aviation Webcams for Alaska
Post by: Skyview on June 17, 2015, 12:10:13 AM
Thanks for that. Never seen that one before. I wonder if they will expand that to other states. Alaska is one of the more dangerous places to fly.
Title: Re: FAA Aviation Webcams for Alaska
Post by: CW2274 on June 17, 2015, 12:55:50 AM
This is great timing. I was sitting in my doctor's office this morning and noticed an FAA Safety magazine so I picked it up. One of the first articles was about how the FAA has installed webcams at many of the major and remote airports/landing-strips throughout Alaska. The purpose of them is for the pilots to be able get a visual clue about the weather at their target airport and for alternates along their route should they be needed. Many of the remote airports have little, if any, radio communications so the webcams tell the weather story in 10-minute increments. I wonder how they get their webcam images uploaded from these remote sites where I am almost certain they don't have any Internet services unless it is via a satellite link.

The link for this service follows:
  • http://avcams.faa.gov/ (http://avcams.faa.gov/)
I thought you were going to say it was for spotting moose on the runway.
Title: Re: FAA Aviation Webcams for Alaska
Post by: Scalphunter on June 17, 2015, 02:33:59 AM
They are done by radio and the space birds. Also some of the passes have the showing view going into the passes. This program been going for some time now. It about 20 or so years and just about got the whole state covered. As too moose yeah they would show in some pixs. But it advisable to make an pass over on the remote strip to make sure no moose or grizzly are ambling down the center line

John
Title: Re: FAA Aviation Webcams for Alaska
Post by: ValentineWeather on June 17, 2015, 09:26:14 AM
We had a member here that put a webcam on his own private runway just to check for cows when landing. He was using a cellular signal.