Feb. 10--Decreased airport traffic has caused the Federal Aviation Administration to make some changes to operations at Preston Smith International Airport.
An FAA report shows that in 2000 Lubbock's airport recorded 115,787 operations, but in 2012 the airport recorded just 79,702 operations. The FAA's reports are available for the public on its web site.
According to a statement released by the FAA, air traffic controllers will assist with daily weather operations once the contracted weather observers are gone.
Lynn Lunsford, a spokesman for the FAA, released the following statement: "The Federal Aviation Administration continues to provide a high level of weather information for pilots using Lubbock's Preston Smith International Airport. Due to lower traffic levels, the facility no longer qualifies for contract weather observation. This service which primarily consists of supplementing information from the (airport's) sophisticated automated weather station -- is now being performed by specially trained air traffic controllers. The level of safety will not be affected."
The sophisticated automated weather station Lunsford referenced is an automated surface observation system -- ASOS for short. According to the National Weather Service, it has been at the airport since 1995.
Meteorologist Mark Conder said the ASOS is a standard piece of meteorological equipment, but a fair amount of sophisticated knowledge is required to interpret the data collected by the ASOS.
It is a metal mast about 30 feet in length which measures wind speed, wind direction, temperature, visibility, pressure and humidity. Conder said it also detects approaching weather systems.
The National Weather Service in Lubbock said it has not been officially notified by the FAA. However, the local branch was made aware of the situation by a supervisor at the local contract weather office, according to an email sent by Steve Cobb, a NWS science and operations officer.
In his email, Cobb said he was told a dozen other airports in the country will be losing their contract weather observers.
Cobb said the NWS has not been told what the FAA's future plans are for supplemental weather observations and the quality control of the ASOS.
"The Lubbock (contract weather observation) closing will mean that the onsite FAA personnel will likely become responsible for or have the option to supplement the automated observation with any operationally significant remarks," Cobb wrote.
Cobb said during equipment outages or when unfavorable conditions are reported, the observers at the airport make observations and provide information relevant to air traffic operation.
Observers provide information the ASOS is not capable of perceiving such as the presence and location of thunderstorms, lightning, tornadoes, hail and rainfall that hasn't reached the ground, Cobb said.
"Since we are responsible for issuing forecasts for the Lubbock terminal as well as local severe weather warnings, the accuracy and reliability of these hazardous weather elements as well as routine observations are very important to us," Cobb wrote.
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