Connectsix has introduced a subscription-based service, dubbed SayWxAir, for airports with its SayWeather automated weather advisory systems to provide up-to-the-minute weather data to pilots via text messaging and ForeFlight. While SayWeather provides advisory-only weather information, it provides live updates on demand at a fraction of the cost of certified AWOS systems (about $45,000 all-in).

SayWxAir costs airports $79 a month and adds several more ways to distribute SayWeather information beyond the click-to-transmit option over an airport’s common traffic advisory frequency. With SayWxAir, pilots can request METAR information from SayWeather-equipped airports via text by sending “M” followed by the airport ICAO code to 727-4SAYWX4. For Missouri’s Dexter Municipal Airport (KDXE), that would be “M KDXE.” 

In addition, pilots can request threshold alert texts when variables such as visibility or wind reach a certain range. For example, to be alerted when winds at KDXE become less than 20 knots, text “KDXE w<20” to the aforementioned number, and the system will monitor winds and send a text when that threshold is met. Airport operators can also receive SayWeather equipment failure notices via text.

Meanwhile, ForeFlight users can now view an airport’s SayWeather advisory data in the same manner they do for any ASOS/AWOS-equipped airport. But SayWxAir advisory METARs for EFBs are updated every 10 minutes instead of once per hour with most published METARs.