Preflight Brief: Is Your Weather Briefing Telling You the Whole Story?

Background:           

Weather information gathering doesn't begin and end with the preflight briefing. Safe pilots continuously collect, evaluate, and act on weather information throughout every phase of flight. Today's pilots have access to a wide range of resources before departure and while airborne, from weather observations and forecasts to datalink weather, pilot reports, and automated airport weather systems. Understanding the strengths, limitations, and appropriate use of these tools can improve situational awareness and support better weather-related decision making before and during every flight.

Learning points:            

• Understand the importance of conducting a thorough preflight weather briefing and reviewing conditions for departure, en route, and destination airports.
• Use a structured weather decision-making process: gather information, analyze what it means for your flight, and make appropriate operational decisions.
• Review adverse weather conditions, current observations, forecasts, winds aloft, NOTAMs, airspace restrictions, and potential delays before every flight.
• Recognize the variety of weather resources available, including weather observations, forecasts, pilot reports, weather cameras, radar imagery, and graphical weather products.
• Compare forecasts to real-time observations whenever possible to determine how closely actual conditions match the forecast.
• Understand the value of pilot reports (PIREPs) in confirming or challenging forecast conditions and providing real-world weather information.
• Become familiar with in-flight weather resources such as Flight Service, ADS-B weather products, ATIS, ASOS, and AWOS systems.
• Understand that datalink weather and display-based weather products may not be real-time and should never be used for close-in thunderstorm penetration decisions. Always verify information age and update times.
• Recognize the benefits and limitations of cockpit weather technology and avoid becoming overly focused on displays at the expense of outside scanning and overall situational awareness.
• Make weather avoidance and diversion decisions early, allowing more options and reducing pressure when conditions deteriorate.
• Continually reassess weather conditions throughout the flight and refine plans as new information becomes available.
• Remember that weather technology is an aid to decision-making and not a substitute for sound aeronautical judgment.

Other Safety Resources:                 

Here is a reminder of just some of the safety resources available to all pilots:                 

FAASTeam:                 

faasafety.gov                 

The FAASTeam website is the portal to a vast array of courses, videos, links, and much more.  Remember that WINGS not only encompasses knowledge activities but also flight activities.  Use the search options to narrow down to say, flight activities for a basic phase of WINGS, and you’ll be able to find a syllabus and often a worksheet for various flight activities.  Use WINGS to keep you proficient and think of the flight activities as a progressive flight review—earnt over 12-months, rather than at the end of 24-months.                 

Wait…you don’t do WINGS?                 

That’s a big shame—you are missing out on a free pilot proficiency program that will help you enjoy your flying even more, allow you to earn a flight review every 12 months just by flying, and may provide insurance discounts.                 

The FAASTeam WINGS pilot proficiency program is the best way for general aviation pilots to ensure they are competent, confident, and safe in their flight operations.   Oh, and being perpetually proficient will save you money in the long run.                   

If you are interested in using the FAASTeam WINGS program for your personal flying or with your flying club, create an account on the FAASTeam website, http://www.faasafety.gov, and explore the collection of courses and flight activities.  Also, feel free to contact me (Jason Levine, WINGS Representative), and I’d be pleased to walk you through the program.  More on “WINGS for Clubs” can be found here in Flying Clubs Radio Episode 8 and the May 2020 Question of the Month.                   

Other FAA Resources:                 

Don’t forget to regularly revisit these FAA safety gems, as new material is frequently added:                 

Pilot Minute                 

57 Seconds to Safer Flying                 

FAA Safety Briefing Magazine                 

From the Flight Deck                    

AOPA Air Safety Institute:                 

https://www.aopa.org/training-and-safety/air-safety-institute                 

AOPA’s Air Safety Institute (ASI), which by the way is funded by the AOPA Foundation just like the Flying Clubs Initiative, is packed with exceptional content, including exceptional videos, podcasts, accident analysis, online courses, recorded webinars and more.  Completing ASI activities may also earn WINGS credits.  Of particular interest to flying club safety officers is the updated Safety to Go section.  There, you can download a selection of topics, each coming with PowerPoint slides and speaker’s notes!