This was found in alt.air****ts newsgroup:
Belfort Instruments published a press release exclaiming to the world
that they commissioned their first Digiwx AWOS at Greenville (GRE)
air****t as noted at:
http://www.digiwx.com/_media/client/pdf/pressreleases/PressRelease_GreenvilleCommissioning.pdf
But according to Airnav.com with info dated as of 30 August 2007,
Greenville (GRE) air****t in Illinois DOES NOT HAVE a FAA commissioned
Digiwx AWOS II. Check it out yourself at:
http://www.airnav.com/air****t/GRE
Then according to AnyAWOS.com with info dated as of 22 October 2007,
Greenville (GRE) air****t is NOT EVEN LISTED among the air****ts in
Illinois that have an FAA commissioned AWOS. Check it out yourself
at:
http://www.anyawos.com/Lkup/main
And then according to MyAFD.com with info dated as of 22 October
2007,
Greenville (GRE) air****t in Illinois DOES NOT HAVE a FAA commissioned
Digiwx AWOS II. Check it out yourself at:
http://www.myafd.com/air****t/gre
And finally, according to the latest Air****t Facility Directory
effective from October 25, 2007 thru December 20, 2007, there is no
official AWOS re****ting weather for VFR or IFR purposes at Greenville
(GRE) air****t in Illinois. Check it out yourself at:
http://naco.faa.gov/index.asp?xml=naco/online/d_afd
and
http://naco.faa.gov/afd.asp?cycle=afd_october&eff=10-25-2007&end=12-20-
2007
SO the question to be asked is DOES BELFORT INSTRUMENTS (who claims
to
have commissioned a single Digiwx AWOS during the past 8 years) have
even one verifiable and functioning AWOS in the US?
How does a company manufacturing and selling a so-called AWOS not
even
have a single FAA commissioned AWOS unit in the field working as
advertised?
HOW DOES THIS **** HAPPEN?
Seems like it's an excellent question that needs an answer (and not
any BULL****) from company owners Bruce R. Robinson & Nicholas C.
Kaufman and Belfort Instrument Digiwx AWOS managers Mark W. Decker,
Debra S. Alascio, Ralph F. Petragnani, William C. Gordon and M. Tylor
Burton III..... but don't expect one anytime soon!
Someone or somebodies in Europe have been posting unflaterring re****ts
and info about Belfort Instruments and their DigiWx AWOS weather
stations along with some personal attacks for quite some time now.
While I don't condone these personal attacks, I do, in fact,
understand them given the way this company operates. I can state,
unequivocably, that a vast majority of the re****ts and info written
about Belfort Instruments, to date, is accurate, factual and right on
target. You wouldn't believe how this company operates day-to-day and
the frightening lack of quality and care with no ISO
9000/9001/9002/9003/9004 manufacturing standards in sight!
Belfort has been producing DigiWx since 1999. Only the dual barometer
on DigiWx AWOS was FAA certified in 2004. And later in 2005, following
management oversight, Belfort Instruments busted ass to get the Model
6000 visibility sensor FAA certified as part of DigiWx AWOS. All other
weather sensors on DigiWx AWOS are not FAA certified nor FAA Approved.
If you're a pilot, that should serve as a rude wake-up call!
As unsettling as this may sound, prior to 2006, the DigiWx Sup****t
Manager failed the FCC 2nd Class Radiotelegraph Operator's Exam until
he finally passed it in early 2006. One needs a FCC 2nd Class
Radiotelegraph Operator's Certificate to work on and maintain FAA
commissioned AWOS units. According to the aforementioned company press
release, Belfort finally commissioned an AWOS at the Greenville, IL
air****t in late October 2006. But as one can readily see, this AWOS is
not currently listed in any official or unofficial FAA or other
government do***ent as an official FAA commissioned AWOS. Instead,
Belfort Instruments goes out of their way to announce on all their
online weather websites: DISCLAIMER: Weather readings shown on the
Internet are advisory only.
Advisory data is not the same thing as "official" FAA AWOS data which
streams from hundreds of time-tested AWOS units manufactured for
decades by the Vaisala Group and All Weather Inc (formerly
Qualimetrics).
Furthermore, all AWOS units need to be inspected every 90 days in
addition to a rigorous annual inspection. I'd like to suggest that the
Greenville DigiWx AWOS has fallen out of "FAA commission" because
either: 1) the Belfort Instruments DigiWx Sup****t Manager has not
performed the required 90 day and annual AWOS inspections, and/or 2)
the Belfort Instruments DigiWx Sup****t Manager did not adequately
train or certify Greenville (GRE) air****t personnel to perform these
90 days and annual AWOS inspections. Either way you look at it, the
mere fact that only a single Belfort Instruments DigiWx AWOS has been
FAA commissioned in nearly 8 years is eye-opening and attention
getting for all the wrong reasons!
You need to demand official weather data from FAA commissioned field
units installed by none other than the Vaisala Group or All Weather
Inc. As a pilot, you demand nothing less!
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