Ask FLYING: What is a G-AIRMET?

An aviation meteorologist explains how a graphical AIRMET is different from a traditional one.

Wednesday, October 05, 2022 at 08:51 AM ET

Verified

The relatively new G-AIRMET format gives a snapshot of forecast hazardous conditions. [Courtesy: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration]

Key Takeaways:

G-AIRMETs became the official operational product for pilots in 2010, replacing legacy textual AIRMETs, though the older terminology and products persist in common use.
Unlike the time-smeared, 6-hour validity of legacy AIRMETs, G-AIRMETs provide superior spatiotemporal resolution by offering graphical "snapshots" of specific weather hazards at precise times, defining smaller and more useful areas.
G-AIRMETs are purely graphical and separate hazards into distinct categories (e.g., low-level wind shear), making them easier to interpret than the older, often confusingly grouped textual AIRMETs (Sierra, Tango, Zulu).

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Q. What is a ‘G-AIRMET’ and how is it different from an AIRMET?

A. It has been more than a decade since the Graphical AIRMET [AIRman’s METeorological Information] or G-AIRMET replaced the legacy AIRMET. However, it seems that on various podcasts, webinars, and social media platforms, pilots are still clinging to the term “AIRMET.” Perhaps it’s because they were never told that on March 16, 2010, the G-AIRMET became the operational product for pilots and replaced the existing textual AIRMET. After standardizing the language for the AIRMET text in 2006, the legacy AIRMET is now a byproduct of the G-AIRMET, and unfortunately, has stuck around for more than a decade for a variety of reasons. Moreover, many of the heavyweight EFBs continue to cling to the legacy AIRMETs in their app.