Every January 1, I tend to have the same New Year’s resolutions that involve losing at least 5 pounds by year’s end, exercising daily, and making at least one pilot weather report on every flight. I do a fair job with the weight and exercise goals but seem to find myself falling short on making those pilot reports. Somehow, I manage to dream up a bunch of lame excuses not to make them.
Pilot weather reports, more simply known as PIREPs, are those rare commodities that general aviation pilots yearn for during preflight planning or while en route using datalink weather. They are vital since they answer these basic questions: At what altitude will I likely encounter ice? What is the severity of those icing conditions? What is the severity of turbulence at my planned altitude? And the most frequently asked question: What altitude will I find the cloud tops?
