Boosting knowledge about weather can help make pilots safer. [iStock]
Key Takeaways:
Filing pilot weather reports (PIREPs) in general aviation is cumbersome, particularly for lower altitudes, resulting in a scarcity of reports below 18,000 feet.
The reliable Enroute Flight Advisory Service (EFAS), also known as Flight Watch, which provided a straightforward way to submit PIREPs via 122.0 MHz, was terminated on October 1, 2015.
Pilots now must file PIREPs by locating and contacting the appropriate Flight Service Station (FSS) via radio, using frequencies typically found on VFR sectionals, avionics, or electronic flight bag apps.
The process for FSS communication can involve specific frequency procedures, such as transmitting on one frequency and listening for a response over a VOR frequency when an "R" is indicated.
Question: How do I file a pilot weather report online?
Answer: In general aviation, one of the most cumbersome things to do while in flight is to file a pilot weather report, more commonly known as a PIREP. This has created the unfortunate situation that on any given day 98 percent of the PIREPs in the system are typically describing weather conditions at or above 18,000 feet.
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Scott resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, and flies regularly throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast U.S. He is a CFI and former NWS meteorologist. Scott is the author of "The Skew-T log (p) and Me: A Primer for Pilots" and the founder of EZWxBrief.
