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 officially replaced the legacy textual AIRMETs on March 16, 2010, yet many pilots and EFB apps still incorrectly refer to or use the older product.
The primary difference is that G-AIRMETs provide specific "snapshots" of weather hazards at given times, offering significantly better spatiotemporal resolution compared to the legacy AIRMET's time-smeared, six-hour forecast.
G-AIRMETs are graphical and separate specific hazard subcategories (e.g., low-level wind shear) into distinct products, making them more precise and easier to interpret than the text-based legacy AIRMETs.
Pilots should transition to using G-AIRMETs as the legacy AIRMET is a byproduct of G-AIRMET generation and is expected to be discontinued entirely in the near future.

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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.