Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Total 1000
Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown
Other Unwanted situation
General None Reported / Taken
Airport; Weather
In an effort to improve aviation safety I am requesting that the weather reporting capabilities be restored at Cross City Florida airport (CTY). It was only in the recent past that a nearby airport; Perry (40J) restored its weather reporting capabilities after many years of being inoperative. The route serving Tallahassee via Cross City to and from points south are lacking weather reporting stations. The return of 40J as a reporting station has improved safety but weather reporting at CTY is imperative in this remote area. This is a route that has extensive use by the general aviation community with few airports for use as alternates should the weather deteriorate. CTY has been reporting their weather as missing for as long as I can remember. It should be noted that Tallahassee Approach Control has been unable to assist with any enroute weather avoidance. It has been reported to me by controllers on previous flights that the weather radar capabilities at TLH are inoperative or non existent which would allow the controllers to provide such assistance. I fly VFR and have not had any instances that have jeopardized the safety of my flight. Not having CTY as a functioning reporting weather station does not allow for adequate preflight weather planning and precludes its ability to be used as an enroute source of weather. The equipment should be restored at CTY to provide ceiling and visibility reports and TLH Approach Control's radar should be addressed to enhance safety in this high traffic but remote area of Northern Florida.
An instrument rated private pilot expressed his concerns with the lack of weather reporting availability at CTY which is one of only a few airports in an extensive remote area of Northern Florida.