FAA Updates Weather Services Guidance

Open your favorite EFB or log onto a web-based aviation weather site and youll be presented with a deluge of information on the environment in which we fly. Text-based weather observations and forecasts, plus Nexrad weather radar mosaics, satellite-based cloud and moisture images, and information-dense graphical products are but a few taps or clicks away. With a smidgen of understanding, a lot of it becomes self-explanatory to even the infrequent pilot.

Editorial Staff

Friday, February 23, 2018 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Aviation weather information, while abundant and accessible through EFBs and websites, is often complex and requires specific understanding for effective interpretation.
The FAA provides key reference materials, like Advisory Circulars, to help pilots understand and utilize various aviation weather products and services.
A significant update to FAA Advisory Circular AC 00-45H, "Aviation Weather Services," introduces guidance on new products (e.g., GFA, LAMP, TCF) and services, while also updating existing ones and removing the Area Forecast (FA) for the continental U.S.

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Open your favorite EFB or log onto a web-based aviation weather site and you’ll be presented with a deluge of information on the environment in which we fly. Text-based weather observations and forecasts, plus Nexrad weather radar mosaics, satellite-based cloud and moisture images, and information-dense graphical products are but a few taps or clicks away. With a smidgen of understanding, a lot of it becomes self-explanatory to even the infrequent pilot.

But each of the pictures, phrases and products have their own tale to tell, and a method behind their madness. Making sense of this sometimes-confusing collection of weather resources can require getting in touch with your inner wonk, but the rewards of being able to explain to your CFI why you prefer such-and-such a presentation over the one she recommends are both rare and satisfying.