scope:

Purpose.

This order establishes the siting criteria that are used in the selection of suitable site locations for automated weather observing systems that provide weather information at airports and heliports. This applies to all primary and secondary weather equipment located at airports, heliports, and offshore platforms. Compliance with this order is required to provide pilots with representative weather information. This order implements the standards set forth in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) FCM-S4-1994. However, some additional aviation specific siting requirements have been included. This order must take precedence over FCM-S4-1994 for all FAA applications. This order will be used by the FAA as a basis for developing and implementing specific regulatory or technical documents. The standard applies to all federally-owned and federally-funded systems, as well as non-federal systems that are to be approved by the FAA. Other users of meteorological data exist, and to the greatest practical extent they have been considered in the development of this order as long as it does not adversely impact its primary aviation purpose.