A good weather briefing begins with developing a total awareness of the overall big picture of the weather conditions before obtaining a detailed or standard briefing. Many pilots constantly monitor weather patterns by watching weather forecasts on TV (Weather Channel etc) several days before a flight.
The day or evening before the flight, pilots may wish to obtain a weather briefing from the Flight Service Station (FSS). The FSS is the primary source for preflight weather information.
A preflight weather briefing from an FSS can be obtained 24 hours a day by calling 1-800-WX BRIEF.
There are several different types of briefing you may request.
- Outlook Briefing
- Standard Briefing
- Abbreviated briefing
For any weather briefing the objective is to communicate a “picture” of meteorological and aeronautical information necessary for the conduct of a safe and efficient flight. Briefers use all available weather and aeronautical information to summarize data applicable to the proposed flight. They do not read weather reports and forecasts verbatim unless specifically requested by the pilot.
Outlook Briefing
You should request an Outlook Briefing whenever your proposed time of departure is six or more hours from the time of the briefing. The briefer will provide available forecast data applicable to the proposed flight.
This type of briefing is provided for planning purposes only
Standard Briefing
You should obtain a Standard Briefing as close to departure as possible in order to obtain the latest current conditions, forecasts, and NOTAMs. Often, graphical weather depiction obtained through mobile apps or the Internet can provide excellent trend information and so may be used accordingly.
The standard preflight briefing will include the following elements :
- Adverse Conditions: Significant meteorological information that might influence you, the pilot, to alter your proposed route of flight, or even cancel your planned flight entirely (e.g., thunderstorms, icing, turbulence, low ceilings or visibility);
- Synopsis: A brief statement as to the cause of the weather (e.g., fronts or pressure systems) which are pertinent to your proposed route-of-flight;
- Current Conditions: When your proposed time of departure is within two hours, a summary of the current weather, including Pilot Weather Reports (PIREPs) and radar weather information applicable to your planned flight;
- En Route Forecast: The briefer will summarize the forecast Conditions (unless requested to read the forecasts verbatim) along your proposed route in a logical order (i.e., climb- out, en
- route, and descent);
- Destination Forecast: The destination forecast for your planned ETA will be provided, including any significant changes expected within one hour of your planned time of arrival;
- Winds Aloft: The briefer will summarize forecast winds aloft for the proposed route. Temperature information will be provided on request; and
- Notice to Airmen (NOTAMs): “Current” NOTAMs pertinent to your proposed route of flight will be provided. However, information on Global Positioning System (GPS) outages, Long Range Navigation (LORAN), and military training routes and areas (e.g., Military Training Routes (MTRs) and Military Operations Areas (MOAs)), along with PUBLISHED NOTAMs must be specifically requested. (When requesting the status of MTRs and MOAs please provide the briefer with the route number identifier or MOA name.) It is always good judgment to inquire whether the briefer has access to all military activity along your proposed route, or whether you will also need to contact another Flight Service Station (on standard FSS radio frequencies) along your route-of-flight to check on the activity and status of designated military areas.
Abbreviated Briefing
If you have already obtained a standard briefing was obtained several hours prior to the flight or when the weather is questionable, it is a good practice to call a Flight Service Station for an Abbreviated briefing just prior to takeoff.
Request an Abbreviated Briefing when:
- Update a previous briefing
- You need information to supplement other electronically acquired data
- When you need only one or two specific items.
Provide the briefer with appropriate background information, the time you received the previous information, and the specific items needed.
You should indicate the source of the information already received so that the briefer can limit the briefing to the information that you have not received, and provide appreciable changes in meteorological conditions or aeronautical information since your previous briefing.
To the extent possible, the briefer will provide the information in the sequence used in a Standard Briefing.
If you request only one or two specific items, the briefer is required to advise you if adverse conditions are present or forecast. Details on these conditions will be provided at your request. Often, and especially when doing local flying, you may want to update the weather at a specific airport. You can do this by directly calling an automated weather system, if available, at that airport. (A more detailed description of automated observing systems can be found in the Aeronautical Information Manual Para. 7-1-10.)
Inflight Briefing.
If at all possible, obtain a preflight briefing by telephone or by electronic means prior to departure.
In cases when you are already in flight and you need to obtain a standard briefing or update a previous briefing inflight, you should contact Flight Service.
After contact, you should advise the specialist of the type of briefing you require and provide appropriate background information. You will then be provided information as specified in the above paragraphs, depending on the type of briefing requested.
Requesting a weather brief
Prior to contacting Flight Service you should have the aircraft tail number, the general route-of-flight worked out and be ready to provide the briefer with all of the required information (listed below).
Call 1-800-WX-BRIEF (1800-992-7433)
When you reach Flight Service, you will be answered by a recorded announcement, followed by instructions to either:
- Press 1 (touch tone on your telephone) or say “Briefer” or
- Press 5 (touch tone on your telephone) or say “Special announcement”
Next you will be instructed to enter your state:
- Enter the state abbreviation on the touch tone on your telephone (6 & 2 for Massachusetts) or
- Say the state i.e “Massachusetts”
To help the briefer provide you with the best service, state your request
- Standard
- Abbreviated,
- Outlook briefing;
- File a flight plan
If you ask the briefer to provide a standard briefing (most common) the briefing will follow specific procedures and use standard phraseology developed by FAA flight services personnel.
When requesting a preflight briefing, identify yourself as a pilot (and your qualifications (e.g. student, private etc) and provide the following information:
Note: Have this information calculated and available before calling
- Type of flight planned; e.g., VFR or IFR.
- Aircraft’s number or pilot’s name. ( i.e N267ND)
- Aircraft type. (i.e PA28 Piper Warrior or Cessna 172)
- Departure Airport. (Airport i.e KBED for Hanscom)
- Route of flight. (i.e Direct)
- Destination. (Airport i.e KASH for Nashua)
- Flight altitude(s) (i.e 3,500 feet)
- Estimated Time of Departure (Z) and Estimated Time Enroute. (Hrs / Mins)
The briefer will first advise you of any adverse conditions along your proposed route of flight.
When a VFR flight is proposed, and actual or forecast conditions make VFR flight questionable, the briefer will describe the conditions and may advise you that “VFR flight (is) not recommended.” If this occurs you are still entitled to a complete briefing; however, if you feel that the weather conditions are beyond your capabilities (or that of your aircraft or equipment), you should consider terminating the briefing (and your flight). This will free the briefer to handle other incoming calls.
Just because the briefer does not issue this statement does not necessarily guarantee a flight free from adverse weather effects. Phenomena such as thunderstorms, turbulence, mountain obscurations, and strong winds do not, in and of themselves, warrant this statement.
Only you as pilot in command know your own capabilities and limitations.
Briefers will typically summarize weather reports and forecasts, unless you specifically request that they be read verbatim.
Try not to interrupt the briefer unless the briefer is speaking too fast.
At the conclusion of the briefing ask for any additional information you may require, or for clarification of any point you do not completely understand. The amount of detail in your weather briefing will depend upon the complexity of the weather situation .
It is both your responsibility and prerogative as a pilot to obtain a standard briefing
Note: As well as calling and speaking to a briefer – The FAA encourages pilots to use the Leidos (Flight Service Station) Pilot Web Portal at www.1800wxbrief.com This website provide pilots free access to weather and aeronautical information, flight plan filing, automated services and downloading weather and forecast charts.
Weather Judgement.
Judgment, often defined as the ability to arrive at a wise decision, is the combination of knowledge and skills, tempered by experience.
Judgment is a learned process, you should begin learning to make sound “Go or No-Go” with a flight instructor or qualified pilot as part of your pilot education.
Student Pilot Minimums
As a student pilot at East Coast Aero Club you will be endorsed to fly solo with the condition of adhering to specific weather minimums criteria.
Wind Limitations
- Maximum wind of 17 Kts
- Maximum cross wind of 7 Kts Max
- Gusts not to exceed 5 Kts
Ceilings and Visibilities
Flying in the local traffic pattern: 1,600’ AGL ceiling and visibility 6 Statue Miles or greater
Flying in the local practice areas: 3,500 AGL ceiling and visibility 6 Statue Miles or greater
Flying Cross-country: 4,000′ AGL ceiling and visibility 6 Statue Miles at origin, along entire route of flight and greater and at destination
Instructors may limit their students to lower winds and higher ceilings and visibility for students. If so, your instructor will discuss these limitations with you and place the limitation in your logbook and inform the ECAC dispatchers to enter them in the student’s information.
As a certificated pilot you can also improve your “Go or No-Go” weather judgment by setting personal weather minimums based on your level of training and experience. For instance, you may choose to make your personal minimums of 2,000 and five instead of the regulatory VFR minimums of 1,000 and three.
You may then gradually reduce your personal minimums to whatever limits you find comfortable, at or above the legal limits.
Pilots can only make good decisions based upon complete information. Knowing what is going on around you is called situational awareness. It is the combination of situational awareness and sound pilot judgment that is the key to safe flying.
Here are some safety-related “DON’Ts” for everyone – beginner and pro alike:
- DON’T fly in or near thunderstorms. Scattered thunderstorms may be safely circumnavigated, but do not try to fly through or under one.
- DO NOT EVER continue a VFR flight into Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC). Wait it out or turn around if you find en route weather lowering below you personal limits.
- DON’T forget there may be areas en route, or even near airports, which are below VFR minimums, even though reporting stations are at or near VFR minimums. Be especially cautious when the temperature and dew point spread is 3°C or less – fog may form.
- DON’T proceed “on-top,” hoping to find a hole in the clouds at the other end, or hoping to get Air Traffic Control (ATC) to “talk you down” if you get caught on top. Allow more margin for weather at night. Scud, lower clouds, and even the horizon may be difficult or impossible to see on dark nights. And always stay above the highest terrain, until a safe landing is assured.
- DO NOT fly into areas of rain when the air temperature is near freezing. Ice can form on the windshield impairing forward vision and/or, worse, on the wings decreasing aircraft performance. Remember, flight into known icing conditions is prohibited for all aircraft not properly certificated for flight in icing conditions or not properly equipped with anti-icing equipment.
if you do get caught in weather, immediately contact Flight Watch or Flight Service or any available ATC facility. They will do their utmost to assist you.
If You Decide to Go… Make use of an Inflight weather updates
Sources of Inflight weather include: (Via radio and data link)
- En Route Flight Advisory Service (EFAS) (FLIGHT WATCH) 122.0 MHz below FL 180 and as published at FL 180 and above for the latest PIREPs, radar information, and satellite interpretation; “real-time” weather.
- Flight Service Station.
- Centers and terminal area facilities will broadcast a Significant Meteorological Advisory (SIGMET) or Center Weather Advisory (CWA) alert once on all frequencies upon receipt. You can also ask the controller for PIREPs (ride, icing, etc.) received from other aircraft.
- To the extent possible, centers and terminal area facilities will issue pertinent information on weather in the immediate area an airport, and assist pilots in avoiding hazardous weather areas, when requested.
- En route weather via data link.
Destination/Terminal Area Arrival Weather can be obtained from the following sources as available:
Via radio and/or data link from:
- En Route Flight Advisory Service (Flight watch).
- Flight Service or other air traffic control facilities.
- UNICOM
- Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS).
- Automated weather observations (AWOS/ASOS).
- Terminal area data link
If the weather does not permit you to fly safely, your alternatives are:
- Delay or postpone (and get a later weather briefing), or
- Cancel
Self-Briefing (AIM 7-1-2-C)
Pilots can receive a regulatory compliant briefing without contacting flight service
Pilots are encouraged to use automated resources & review AC 91-92 – Pilot’s Guide to a Preflight Briefing
- Provides a roadmap for self-briefings and guidance for FAR 91.103 required preflight actions
- Briefing types and sources, sample preflight checklists, Do’s and Don’ts, and more
Aviation weather only looks ahead so far. When preflight planning further out use local weather or reliable websites to get a picture of what to expect and whether or not the flight is currently worth planning