Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 3
Training / Qualification; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
ATC Equipment / Nav Facility / Buildings; Procedure; Weather
Aircraft X was in level flight. There was weather between them and their destination that other aircraft had to deviate around earlier in the night. I issued the weather; and even though the pilot didn't see the weather; he still requested to deviate. We typically lose radar on aircraft at or below 12000 feet in this area and he was level at 8000 feet; but later requested 10000 feet. We had just been briefed earlier that we cannot issue weather deviations to non-radar aircraft. I was very worried that we would lose the aircraft on radar and I would have to declare an emergency on his behalf. This situation occupied my attention and while nothing unsafe happened; I would have been extremely distracted as I had an 'emergency in the making.' I was relieved from the sector before the aircraft went non-radar; so I'm not sure how this situation ended.There was nothing unsafe in the way we used to assign direct routes in non-radar situations; we need a waiver or something like that to let us give pilots what they need (point to point direct clearances; ability to deviate around weather non-radar; ability to give direct clearances while non-radar e.g. initial approach fixes or fixes to avoid military airspace.) With our rapidly deteriorating staffing situation; I'm not sure that we'll have the staffing during the summer to properly handle these situations.
Today we were told in a briefing that if an aircraft is not in radar coverage and needs a deviation for weather we need to [give special attention to] that aircraft. I was working Aircraft X at 8000 feet on radar. They asked for a left deviation which I approved then they asked for 7000 feet so I descended them to 7000 feet. At about 7500 feet I lost Aircraft X on radar. I told the supervisor that I was [taking special attention] for Aircraft X because he was nonradar and deviating. Two or three minutes went by and he said he was done deviating.
ZLC ARTCC mandated that controllers cannot approve weather deviations for aircraft not in radar coverage unless the aircraft is given special attention.