Narrative:

Upon taxiing out for a VFR departure from ottumwa, ia, to fairfield, ia, to pick up passenger. Called FSS to get current WX. They said it was 1400 ft broken 3 mi visibility. Ottumwa is a control zone with a manned WX observer. After departure found the ceiling to be much lower than they were calling it. There is a 15 min delay between observations of the WX. And by the time center or FSS gets the WX it's old news. Looking forward to ASOS and AWOS so that you can get current and accurate WX that's up to the min -- not 15 to 30 mins old.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX PLT OF AN SMT TWIN FOUND CEILING LOWER THAN THE LATEST CURRENT WX RPTED BY A MANNED OBSERVATION WHICH IS DELAYED UP TO 30 MINS BEFORE GIVEN TO FSS FOR PLT BRIEFINGS.

Narrative: UPON TAXIING OUT FOR A VFR DEP FROM OTTUMWA, IA, TO FAIRFIELD, IA, TO PICK UP PAX. CALLED FSS TO GET CURRENT WX. THEY SAID IT WAS 1400 FT BROKEN 3 MI VISIBILITY. OTTUMWA IS A CTL ZONE WITH A MANNED WX OBSERVER. AFTER DEP FOUND THE CEILING TO BE MUCH LOWER THAN THEY WERE CALLING IT. THERE IS A 15 MIN DELAY BTWN OBSERVATIONS OF THE WX. AND BY THE TIME CTR OR FSS GETS THE WX IT'S OLD NEWS. LOOKING FORWARD TO ASOS AND AWOS SO THAT YOU CAN GET CURRENT AND ACCURATE WX THAT'S UP TO THE MIN -- NOT 15 TO 30 MINS OLD.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.