HEMS tool shut down :(

SpiraMirabilis

SpiraMirabilis

Possible Subversive
Apparently the FAA has instructed the NCAR to take the ADDS (Aviation Digital Data Service), which includes the HEMS tool offline and may be shut down indefinitely.

I liked that thing.
 
Looks like a pretty cool utility. Had never heard of it until today though.

I'm not sure I understand you completely though. It reads as though you're saying ADDS is being taken offline but from the notice at the top of aviationweather.gov they're simply redesigning the website.
 
Interesting. My wife is responsible for the the HEMS division where she works. She's more of the administrative head, not in operations.

Anything she should know?
 
It's a tool (mostly) for VFR helicopter EMS guys to use to try to decide whether or not they're going to fly in to IMC. Figures that the FAA would find it dangerous to give these guys something to use rather than just blame them after they're dead. *golfclap*, FAA.
 
Boris Badenov said:
It's a tool (mostly) for VFR helicopter EMS guys to use to try to decide whether or not they're going to fly in to IMC. Figures that the FAA would find it dangerous to give these guys something to use rather than just blame them after they're dead. *golfclap*, FAA.
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sounds about right
 
One place I worked allowed to pilots to turn down flights based on HEMS Tool data, but they could not accept flights based solely on that data. It uses a lot of computer modeling and interpolation to give them an idea of what the weather is like in between AWOS sites. There are a lot of black holes out there.
 
That's how it worked at Methods (as I understood it anyway). I would secretly use it as a fixed wing goon from time to time (don't tell the FAA) to get a sense of the weather in some of the uh "more rural" destinations (eg. Will I be able to get in VFR to a place with no weather reporting). I was always pretty impressed by the accuracy, although there were some notable exceptions, of course. Just so typical of the FAA...someone didn't cross that "t", so let's teach them a lesson, browbeat the companies in to further hamstringing pilots by thickening up the Opspecs a bit more, and pat ourselves on the back for "increasing safety"! Or so I imagine in the bitter lump of coal where my heart should be, anyway.
 
bronco21016 said:
Looks like a pretty cool utility. Had never heard of it until today though.

I'm not sure I understand you completely though. It reads as though you're saying ADDS is being taken offline but from the notice at the top of aviationweather.gov they're simply redesigning the website.
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This is the message we got yesterday:

AAMS has learned that the FAA has instructed the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) to take the Aviation Digital Data Service (ADDS), including the HEMS Weather Tool, offline tonight between 1700 and 1900h EST, and that the site may be down indefinitely.
We are working with the HAI and AMOA to get this important information out to our collective members in a timely manner, and we are actively investigating the details on the reasoning behind the FAA's directive.
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