Awareness Aloft
James M. Oyler
School of Aeronautics, Liberty University
AVIA 340: Aviation Weather
Professor Vince Wright
18 April 2024
Awareness Aloft
Maintaining awareness aloft as it pertains to current and forecasted weather systems is
vital to the success of every flight. It is important that all pilots understand what weather
products are available, where they can find them, how to interpret them, and how long they are
valid for. Airport observations, called Meteorological Aerodrome Report’s or M.E.T.A.R’s are
supported by the National Weather Service (N.W.S.) and are created by automated observation
systems. For future weather predictions, pilots use the Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts (TAF’s)
prepared at each of the one hundred and twenty-three (123) N.W.S. Weather Forecast Offices
(W.F.O.’s) for more than seven hundred (700) airports in the United States. These forecasts are
valid for either twenty-four (24) or thirty (30) hours and adjusted as required for any possible
changes in the forecast.
Other sources include the Sirius XM satellite weather application, Automatic Dependent
Surveillance Broadcast (IN) also provides weather information to aviators in flight. Another
source which is perhaps the best source available to the aviator both before and during flight is
that of a Federal Aviaton Administration weather briefer. On the ground, pilots can call 1-800-
WX-Brief which will connect them with a Flight Services Station (F.S.S.) weather briefer. These
individuals are highly trained and extremely knowledgeable. They can provide the pilot with
either a Standard, Abbreviated, or an Outlook briefing which often includes other pertinent
information such as global positioning system tests that might disrupt satellite connections
during flight as well as a host of other conditions to provide the pilot with a complete picture of
what to expect. At the conclusion of their briefing, they will tell the pilot if the flight is
recommended or not. The Federal Aviation Administration’s Flight Service Station is the
primary legal source for preflight weather information. A pre-flight weather briefing from an
F.S.S. can be obtained 24 hours a day. (Pilot Briefing, 2023)
Special Weather Forecast
Aviators pay particular attention to weather reports such as Airman's Meteorological
Information (AIRMETS) weather advisories that alert pilots to potentially hazardous weather
conditions that could affect flight safety. AIRMETs are issued for less severe but still potentially
hazardous weather conditions, such as moderate turbulence, icing, sustained surface winds
greater than thirty (30) knots or more, and widespread restricted visibility. are valid for six (6)
hours, Significant Meteorological Information (SIGMET’s) which is a weather advisory for
pilots that alerts them to potentially hazardous weather conditions. SIGMETs are valid for four
hours, unless they relate to a hurricane, in which case they are valid for six (6) hours. More
specific reports deal with items of a more sever nature such as an AIRMET Sierra which deals
with extreme low ceilings and visiblity. AIRMET Tango specifically deals with severe
turbulance while AIRMETS ZULU pertains to the threat of sever icing conditions.(Aviation
Weather Handbook,United States Department of Transportation, F.A.A. Flight Standards
Service, 2022)
Escaping the Weather
The most effective method for escaping hazardous weather conditons is through proper planning.
Using all of the available resources well atleast twenty-four hours prior to the palnned flight will
greatly reduce the chance of getting caught in a bad situation. However, weather can change
unexpectidly and when a pilot appears to be closing in on bad weather the best course of actuon
is to turn the aircraft away form hazardous conditions and divert to an alternate landing location.
Once a pilot is back safely on the ground they can regroup and determine the best cource of
action moving forward which can include staying over night. Sleeping on the couch of an F.B.O.
beats the possibility of death any day of the week.
Major Takeaway from Video Presentation : Awareness Aloft
In the video presentation titled, Awareness Alfot, the presenter John Zimmerman, does an
excellent job of expalining the various sources and methods for determining forecasted weather
while in flight. Mr. Zimmerman provided great detail on the differing systems used to make
weather predictions and also highlighted the fact of updating and reporting and how not to get
confused thinking one is recieving real time updates ever two (2) to five (5) minutes when the
truth is the udpates are actually occuring every fifteen (15) minutes. Fifteen (15) minutes is a
long time in to wait for updated weather reports while in flight. The importance of understanding
each in flight weather productand the reality of the reporting structure can be critical in a time
sensative enviornment. (ADS-B or SiriusXM? What’s Right for You?, n.d.)
References
Aviation Weather Handbook 2022 United States Department of Transportation FEDERAL
AVIATION ADMINISTRATION Flight Standards Service. (n.d.).
https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/FAA-H-8083-28_FAA_Web.pdf
Pilot Briefing. (2023). Faa.gov.
https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/fs_html/chap5_section_2.html
ADS-B or SiriusXM? What’s right for you? (n.d.). Www.youtube.com. Retrieved April 25,
2024, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgqhaRcKutc&t=498s
