Incorrect METAR Decoding

#1

I was open at ZBAA, and while we know confusion runs rampant when both runways are green, this was actually a scenario where one end should have been red.

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Note that the METAR wind is provided in meters per second, rather than knots.

4 mps actually translates into a little under 8 knots (7.75), so the southbound runways should have been green but the northbound red.

This improper decoding may actually lead to cofusion with inattentive controllers as well as pilots if it is inappropriately translated into the incorrect wind unit.

I know some of the pilots thought I was simply being spiteful, but…

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#2

@Tim_B did this ever adjust according to the METAR since I’m assuming that you were controlling there for a considerable amount of time?

#3

The METAR did change once I think but when I looked at the TAF prior to opening, there wasn’t an update scheduled for a long time. It never moved to 5 mps or above, but it would still be translating it as knots, which is incorrect.

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#4

Looks like IF just don’t know how to deal with METAR’s sending MPS as wind speed.

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#5

All of the runways have been green since the global update for me. Before the update they displayed the correct colours.

#6

That’s odd. I haven’t noticed any issues at any airports with the standard METAR format. That might be something different, though I’m at a complete loss as to what it may be, as I haven’t experienced it.

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#7

I’ve been having this problem with other airfields as well…

#8

I experienced the same thing at WSSS not as an atc but as a pilot of the plane when i did a flight earlier 😅😅

#9

I’ve noticed this as well. When in ATC, both runways have shown green the whole time even after a METAR update when clearly one should have been closed.

I have noticed that when the pilot switches onto Tower and requests takeoff clearance, the takeoff commands then show green and red for the open and closed runways respectively, but not on the map screen.

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#12

This is still an issue. Controlling at UKBB right now. METAR reads 4 MPS, but IF decodes that as 4 knots. It’s actually close to 8 knots.

#13

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#14
#15

I hate to keep bringing this up. Not sure if it would be incredibly difficult to fix. If it is, I can just live with it. But my OCD kind of gets triggered by it. For example when 4 MPS rolls around so winds appear calm but it’s more like 7.5-8 knots. I know it doesn’t really sound like a big deal, but these are two wholly separate units of measurement and should be treated as such if we can. (Again, unless it’s some massive amount of coding, then there’s other things that are certainly more important. It’s just something I’d like to see fixed when opening in Asia.)

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#16

Just so we can help you with your OCD ;)

The precise issue is that the app thinks MPS is the same as kts? Is that a very simple explanation of the issue?

#17

Yup, that’s the long and short of it.

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#18

I think you should call the airports instead and tell them to stop using MPS in their METAR. Much easier ;)

Seriously, i’ll forward this to the queen.

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#19

I’m on it. Russians and Chinese will probably be pretty amenable to changing it up to help us out.

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#20

They’re always up for helping you Americans ;)

#21

Added to the list :)