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Checking the Weather Is More Than Looking Out the Window

Learning how to access weather reports and interpret them is a foundational lesson.

While looking up at the sky comprised a weather briefing during the golden age of aviation, it just doesn't cut it now. [File photo: iStock]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Thoroughly obtaining and interpreting weather briefings is critical for aviation safety and making go/no-go decisions, a skill often neglected by pilots after initial certification.
  • Documented weather briefings from FAA-approved sources are vital for both safety and legal defense, as a lack of record is frequently cited in accident investigations.
  • Effective weather assessment requires detailed analysis of specific metrics (e.g., ceilings, visibility, winds, NOTAMs, AIRMETs) and a pre-planned diversion strategy, rather than just casual observation.
  • Real-world incidents underscore that diligent weather analysis and a deep respect for meteorological conditions are paramount for all pilots.
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“Have you checked the weather?”

My fellow instructors, how many times have you asked this question? How many times has someone asked you that? The ability to access weather information and more importantly, correctly interpret it, is critical to the aviation process. Without this skill, the ability to make a go/no-go decision becomes suspect at best. Sadly, the task of obtaining a weather briefing and the ability to interpret the briefing is one of those skills that often wanes dramatically after the acquisition of a private pilot certificate because so many pilots ‘only fly on nice days’.

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.

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