Boosting knowledge about weather can help make pilots safer. [iStock]
Key Takeaways:
Filing in-flight pilot weather reports (PIREPs) in general aviation has become more cumbersome since the convenient Enroute Flight Advisory Service (EFAS/Flight Watch) was terminated in October 2015.
Pilots must now contact a Flight Service Station (FSS) to file PIREPs, which requires identifying the correct frequency and FSS name.
To find the appropriate FSS frequency, pilots should consult VFR sectionals near VORs, avionics, or electronic flight bag apps, and be aware of specific radio procedures for transmitting and receiving.
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.
