Looking out the window of an FBO does not constitute a weather briefing. [Courtesy: Meg Godlewski]
Key Takeaways:
The FAA does not designate an "official" or "legal" weather briefing source, instead placing responsibility on the pilot in command (PIC) to obtain sufficient information to meet preflight planning requirements under FAR 91.103.
Some flight instructors and schools advocate for services like 1800WXBRIEF or ForeFlight because they provide a verifiable record of the briefing, which can be crucial during NTSB accident or incident investigations.
A proper preflight weather briefing necessitates checking TAFs, METARs, winds aloft, and NOTAMs; ATIS/ASOS/AWOS broadcasts or visual observation alone are not considered adequate.
Question: Is there such a thing as an official source for a weather briefing?
I have been using 1800WXBRIEF.com and Aviation Weather Center for years since they don’t require a paid subscription. But according to the CFIs at the school I just started flying with, these are not considered legal weather briefings.
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Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
