General Aviation Pilot’s Guide To Preflight Weather .

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Federal AviationAdministrationGeneral Aviation Pilot’s Guideto Preflight Weather Planning,Weather Self-Briefings, andWeather Decision Making

General Aviation Pilot’s GuidePreflight Planning, Weather Self-Briefings, and Weather Decision MakingForeword iiIntroduction 1I Preflight Weather Planning 2Perceive – Understanding Weather Information .2Process – Analyzing Weather Information . .7Perform – Making A Weather Plan. .11II In-flight Weather Decision-Making 14Perceive – In-flight Weather Information .14Process – (Honestly) Evaluating In-flight Conditions .16Perform – Putting It All Together 20III Post-Flight Weather Review .22IV Resources 23Appendix 1 – Weather Products & Providers Chart .Appendix 2 – Items for Standard Briefing .Appendix 3 – Automated Weather Systems (definitions) .Appendix 4 – Developing Personal Weather Minimums. .Appendix 5 –Aviation Weather Analysis Worksheets . .Appendix 6 –Weather Analysis Checklists (VFR) .Appendix 7 – Weather Analysis Checklists (IFR) .Appendix 8 – Estimating In-flight Visibility & Cloud Clearance .2425262731323436

Preflight Guide v. 1.1ForewordThis guide is intended to help general aviation (GA) pilots, especially those withrelatively little weather-flying experience, develop skills in obtaining appropriateweather information, interpreting the data in the context of a specific flight, andapplying the information and analysis to make safe weather flying decisions.It has been developed with assistance and contributions from a number ofweather experts, aviation researchers, air traffic controllers, and general aviationinstructors and pilots. Special thanks are due to Dr. Dennis Beringer and Dr.William Knecht of the FAA’s Civil Aviation Medical Institute (CAMI); Dr. MichaelCrognale, Department of Psychology and Biomedical Engineering, University ofNevada/Reno; Dr. Douglas Wiegmann, Institute of Aviation, University of Illinois;Dr. B.L. Beard and Colleen Geven of the NASA Ames Research Center; Dr. PaulCraig, Middle Tennessee State University; Paul Fiduccia, Small AircraftManufacturers Association; Max Trescott, SJFlight; Arlynn McMahon, Aero-TechInc.; Roger Sharp, Cessna Pilot Centers; Anthony Werner and Jim Mowery,Jeppesen-Sanderson; Howard Stoodley, Manassas Aviation Center; DanHoefert; Lawrence Cole, Human Factors Research and Engineering Scientificand Technical Advisor, FAA; Ron Galbraith, FAA Air Traffic Controller, DenverARTCC; Michael Lenz, FAA General Aviation Certification and OperationsBranch, Christine Soucy, FAA Office of Accident Investigation; Dr. Rich Adams,Engineering Psychologist, FAA Flight Standard Service; and Dr. William K.Krebs, Human Factors Research and Engineering Scientific and TechnicalAdvisor, FAA.This guide is intended to be a living document that incorporates comments,suggestions, and ideas for best practices from GA pilots and instructors like you.Please direct comments and ideas to: susan.parson@faa.gov.Happy – and safe – flying!ii08/06

Preflight Guide v. 1.1IntroductionAviation has come a long way since the Wrightbrothers first flew at Kitty Hawk. One thing thathas unfortunately not changed as much is the rolethat weather plays in fatal airplane accidents.Even after a century of flight, weather is still thefactor most likely to result in accidents withfatalities.From the safe perspective of the pilot’s lounge, itis easy to second-guess an accident pilot’sdecisions. Many pilots have had the experienceof hearing about a weather-related accident andthinking themselves immune from a similarexperience, because “I would never have tried tofly in those conditions.” Interviews with pilots whonarrowly escaped aviation weather accidents indicate that many of theunfortunate pilots thought the same thing -- that is, until they found themselves inweather conditions they did not expect and could not safely handle.Given the broad availability of weather information, why do general aviation (GA)pilots continue to find themselves surprised and trapped by adverse weatherconditions? Ironically, the very abundance of weather information might be partof the answer: with many weather providers and weather products, it can be verydifficult for pilots to screen out non-essential data, focus on key facts, and thencorrectly evaluate the risk resulting from a given set of circumstances.This guide describes how to use the Perceive – Process – Perform riskmanagement framework as a guide for your preflight weather planningand in-flight weather decision-making. The basic steps are:--Perceive weather hazards that could adversely affect your flight.--Process this information to determine whether the hazards create risk, which isthe potential impact of a hazard that is not controlled or eliminated.-- Perform by acting to eliminate the hazard or mitigate the risk.Let’s see how the 3-P model can help you make better weather decisions.108/06

Preflight Guide v. 1.1Preflight Weather PlanningPerceive – Understanding Weather InformationWhen you plan a trip in ageneral aviation (GA)airplane, you might findyourself telling friendsand family that you arefirst going to “see” ifweather conditions aresuitable. In other words,your first major preflighttask is to perceive theflight environment bycollectinginformationaboutcurrentandforecast conditions alongthe route you intend to take, and then using the information to develop a goodmental picture of the situation you can expect to encounter during the flight.Because there are many sources of weather information today, the first challengeis simply knowing where and how to look for the weather information you need.For many GA pilots, the FAA Flight Service Station(FSS) remains the single most widely used sourceof comprehensive weather information. Like otherweather providers, the FSS bundles, or“packages,” weather products derived fromNational Weather Service (NWS) data and other flight planning information into aconvenient, user-friendly package that is intended to offer the pilot not onlyspecific details, but also a big picture view of the flight environment. In thisrespect, you might think of the FSS as “one-stop shopping” for GA weatherinformation.Flight Service offers four basic briefing packages: Outlook (for flights more than six hours away),Standard (for most flights),Abbreviated (to update specific items after a standard briefing); andTIBS (telephone information briefing service), which provides recordedweather information.The specific weather information packaged into a standard briefing includes aweather synopsis, sky conditions (clouds), and visibility and weather conditions208/06

Preflight Guide v. 1.1at the departure, en route, and destination points. Also included are adverseconditions, altimeter settings, cloud tops, dew point, icing conditions, surfacewinds, winds aloft, temperature, thunderstorm activity, precipitation, precipitationintensity, visibility obscuration, pilot reports (PIREPs), AIRMETs, SIGMETs,Convective SIGMETS, and Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs), including anytemporary flight restrictions (TFRs).Although a Flight Service weather briefing is still the single most comprehensivesource of weather data for GA flying, it can be difficult to absorb all theinformation conveyed in a telephone briefing. Pictures are priceless when itcomes to displaying complex, dynamic information like cloud cover andprecipitation. For this reason, you may find it helpful to begin the preflightplanning process by looking at weather products from a range of providers. Thegoal of this self-briefing process is to develop an overall mental picture of currentand forecast weather conditions, and to identify areas that require closerinvestigation with the help of an FSS briefer.Here is one approach to conducting your initial self-briefing. Keep in mind asimple rule-of-thumb as you work through the weather data collection process:the more doubtful the weather, the more information you need to obtain.Television/Internet Sources.For long-range weatherplanning, many pilots start with televised or online weather,such as The Weather Channel (TWC) on television or theInternet.TWC is not an FAAapprovedsourceofweatherinformation, but its television and Internet offeringsprovide both tactical and strategic summaries andforecasts (up to 10 per day). TWC provides compact,easy-to-use information that can be a useful supplementto approved sources. For example, one TWC Internetpage includes a weather map with color-coding forInstrument Flight Rules (IFR) and Marginal Visual FlightRules (MVFR) conditions at airports around the . This andother TWC features can give you a very useful first snapshot of weatherconditions you will need to evaluate more closely. The National WeatherService’s Aviation Weather Center (http://aviationweather.gov/) is another usefulsource of initial weather information. A look at the AIRMET and SIGMET watchboxes can quickly give you an idea of areas of marginal or instrument weather.Direct User Access Terminal System (DUATS). Next, get aprinted version of the FSS briefing package by obtaining astandard briefing for your route on DUATS.Free andaccessible to all pilots via the Internet at www.duat.com (DTC)or www.duats.com (CSC), this resource provides weather308/06

Preflight Guide v. 1.1information in an FAA-approved format and records the transaction as an officialweather briefing. You might want to print out selected portions of the DUATScomputer briefing for closer study and easy reference when you speak to a FlightService briefer.Aviation Digital Data Service (ADDS): You should alsotake a look at the wealth of weather information andresources available online via the Aviation Digital DataService (ADDS), a joint effort of NOAA Forecast SystemsLaboratory, NCAR Research Applications Program (RAP),and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction(NCEP) Aviation Weather Center (AWC). Available athttp://adds.aviationweather.noaa.gov, ADDS combines information from NationalWeather Service (NWS) aviation observations and forecasts and makes themavailable on the Internet along with visualization tools to help pilots use thisinformation for practical flight planning. For example: For METARs, TAFS, AIRMETS,and SIGMETS, the ADDS java toolcan zoom in on specific parts of thecountry. For pilot reports (PIREPs), theADDS Java tool can zoom in on aspecific part of the country andspecify the type of hazard reported(icing,turbulence,skyandweather). The tool also allows youto limit data to specified altitudesand time periods. Map overlaysincludingcounties,highways,VORs, and Air Route Traffic ControlBoundaries are available. FortheNationalConvectiveWeather Forecast (NCWF), thelatest convection diagnostic isshown together with the one hourforecast. The java tool allows theuser to select the height and speedof the forecasted thunderstorm, aswell as the one-hour forecast fromthe previous hour to help the userunderstand how well the NCWF isperforming.408/06

Preflight Guide v. 1.1 ADDS also includes a Flight PathTool that helps pilots visualize highresolutionweatherproductstogether with winds aloft and pilotreports.Although some of the other ADDS tools(e.g., icing potential and maximumturbulencepotential)areonlyauthorized for operational use bymeteorologists and dispatchers, theseproducts can still help you develop amental picture of vertical and horizontal“weather hazard areas” for your flight.Flight Service Station Briefing. Once you have formed a basic mental picture ofthe weather conditions for your trip, it is time to call the FSS. If you have justobtained a DUATS briefing or if the weather situation and mission are bothsimple, ask for an abbreviated briefing. If not, ask for a standard briefing. Armedwith what you already know from your self-briefing process, you will find that it ismuch easier to absorb information from the briefer – and to know what questionsyou should ask.A few guidelines for getting weather data from FSS:9 DO be sure to get the right FSS. When you dial the standard number, 1-800WX-BRIEF from a cell phone, this number will connect you to the FSSassociated with your cell phone’s area code – not necessarily to the FSSnearest to your present position. If you are usinga cell phone outside your normal calling area,check the Airport/Facility Directory to find thespecific telephone number for the FSS you needto reach.9 DO know what you need, so you can request theright briefing “package” (outlook, standard, orabbreviated).9 DO use the standard flight plan form to provide the background the brieferneeds to obtain the right information for you. Review the form before you call,and develop an estimate for items such as altitude, route, and estimated timeen route so you can be sure of getting what you need to know.508/06

Preflight Guide v. 1.19 DO be honest – with yourself and with the briefer – about any limitations inpilot skill or aircraft capability.9 DO let the FSS specialist know if you are new to the area or unfamiliar withthe typical weather patterns, including seasonal characteristics. If you areunfamiliar with the area, have a VFR or IFR navigation chart available whileyou listen to help sharpen your mental picture of where the weather hazardsmay be in relation to your departure airport, proposed route of flight, anddestination.9 DO ask questions, and speak up if you don’t understand something you haveseen or heard. Less experienced pilots sometimes hesitate to be assertive.Smart pilots ask questions to resolve any ambiguities in the weather briefing.The worse the weather, the more data you need to develop options.9 DO be sure to get all the weather information you need. If you are flying inIMC or MVFR that could deteriorate, don’t end the briefing without knowingwhich direction (north, south, east, west) to turn to fly toward better weather,and how far you would have to fly to reach it.608/06

Preflight Guide v. 1.1Process – Analyzing Weather InformationObtaining weather information is only the first step. The critical next step is tostudy and evaluate the information to understand what it means for yourcircumstances.The knowledge tests for most pilot certificates include questions on weathertheory and use of weather products in aviation. However, it takes continuousstudy and experience to develop your skill in evaluating and applying weatherdata to a specific flight in a GA airplane. You might find it helpful to approach thetask of practical, real world weather analysis with several basic concepts in mind.What creates weather? Most pilots can recite the textbook answer -- “unevenheating of the earth’s surface” – but what does that mean when you are trying toevaluate weather conditions for your trip? Let’s take a look.The three basic elements of weather are: Temperature (warm or cold);Wind (a vector with speed and direction); andMoisture (or humidity).Temperature differences (e.g., uneven heating) support the development of lowpressure systems, which can affect wide areas. Surface low pressure systemsusually have fronts associated with them, with a “front” being the zone betweentwo air masses that contain different combinations of the three basic elements(temperature, wind, and moisture).The illustration shows the “classic” northernhemisphere low pressure system with irculatescounterclockwise around a low pressuresystem in the Northern Hemisphere will helpyou visualize the overall temperature, wind,and moisture patterns in a given area.Because weather is associated with fronts,which are in turn associated with low pressuresystems, you can get some idea of possibleconditions just by looking to see where the lowpressure systems are in relation to your route.What can weather do to you? Temperature, wind, and moisture combine tovarying degrees to create conditions that affect pilots. The range of possible708/06

Preflight Guide v. 1.1combinations is nearly infinite, but weather really affects pilots in just three ways.Specifically, the three basic weather elements can: Reduce visibilityCreate turbulenceReduce aircraft performanceHow do you evaluate weather data? One approach to practical weather analysisis to review weather data in terms of how current and forecast conditions willaffect visibility, turbulence, and aircraft performance for your specific flight.Here’s how it works. Suppose you want to make a flight from CincinnatiMunicipal Airport (KLUK) to Ohio State University Airport in Columbus, Ohio(KCMH). You want to depart KLUK around 1830Z and fly VFR at 5,500 MSL.Your estimated time enroute (ETE) is approximately one hour. Your weatherbriefing includes the following information:METARs:KLUK 261410Z 07003KT 3SM -RA BR OVC015 21/20 A3001KDAY 261423Z 14005KT 3SM HZ BKN050 22/19 A3003KCMH 261351Z 19005KT 3SM HZ FEW080 BKN100 OVC130 22/17 A3002TAFsKLUK 261405Z 261412 00000KT 3SM BR BKN015TEMPO 1416 2SM -SHRA BRFM1600 14004KT 5SM BR OVC035TEMPO 1618 2SM -SHRA BR BKN015FM1800 16004KT P6SM BKN040FM0200 00000KT 5SM BR BKN025TEMPO 0912 2SM BR BKN018KDAY 261303Z 261312 06003KT 5SM BR SCT050 OVC100TEMPO 1315 2SM -RA BR BKN050FM1500 15006KT P6SM BKN050TEMPO 1519 4SM -SHRA BR BKN025FM1900 16007KT P6SM BKN035FM0200 14005KT 5SM BR BKN035FM0600 14004KT 2SM BR BKN012KCMH 261406Z 261412 19004KT 4SM HZ SCT050 BKN120FM1800 17006KT P6SM BKN040TEMPO 1922 4SM -SHRA BRFM0200 15005KT 5SM BR BKN035FM0700 14004KT 2SM BR BKN012WINDS ALOFT300060009000120001500018000210002400027000CMH 1910 2108 15 2807 10 2712 05 2922-07 2936-17 294532 294540 313851CVG 2310 2607 16 2811 11 2716 06 3019-05 2929-16 293430 293240 293652808/06

Preflight Guide v. 1.1Remember that you have the option ofgetting this information in “plain English”format if you prefer not to decode.Whichever format you select, the first stepis to look at your weather data in terms ofthree specific ways that weather can affectyour flight: turbulence, visibility, and aircraftperformance.Organize the information into tables suchas the one below, (see Appendix 5 for blankforms). This kind of format allows you to see and make “apples-to-apples”comparisons more easily. The column headings in the top row – arranged tomatch the order in which the briefing information is presented – can help youquickly identify the specific weather hazard(s) you might face on this trip. Youmay also find it helpful to convert Zulu (UTC) times to local time, and to writenote expected ETAs for each waypoint on your flight plan.Using the Cincinnati (KLUK) to Columbus (KCMH) trip as example:CURRENT CONDITIONSTurbulenceCeiling & 005KTVisibility3SM3SMWeatherRA, ,OVC130Visibility 322/17A3002TrendsFORECAST CONDITIONSPlaceKLUKKDAYKCMHTimeFM1800ZTEMPO 1519ZFM1900ZFM1800ZTEMPO ityP6 SM4SMP6 SMP6 SM4SMCeiling & VisibilityWeather-SHRA---SHRA, BRCeilingBKN040BKN025BKN035BKN040--WINDS 07210/08Visibility &PerformanceTemp16 C15 C908/06

Preflight Guide v. 1.11. Ceiling & Visibility. First, look at the weather data elements that report ceilingand visibility.In the case of the proposed VFR flight from KLUK to KCMH,current visibility at your departure and destination airports ismarginal, and the small temperature/dew point spread shouldtrigger a mental red flag for potentially reduced visibility. Theforecasts call for conditions to improve at your departure airport,KLUK, by the time you plan to launch (1830Z).Note, however, that you could encounter marginal conditions,including light rain showers, en route and also at your destination(KC

This guide describes how to use the Perceive – Process – Perform risk management framework as a guide for your preflight weather planning and in-flight weather decision-making. The basic steps are: --Perceive weather hazards that could adversely affect your flight. --Process this information to determine whether the hazards create risk .

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