• Any updates to adverse conditions that are reported or forecast along the route of flight.
• Changes in meteorological and aeronautical conditions since the previous briefing.
• TFR updates since the previous briefing.
7.6 Outlook Briefing Checklist. Review the following items when the departure time is 6 hours or more away:
• Reported or forecast meteorological or aeronautical conditions that might influence or alter the proposed flight. These conditions may include low-level wind shear, thunderstorms, reported icing, frontal zones along the route of flight, and NOTAMs
(e.g., airport/runway closures, air traffic delays, and TFRs).
• Weather advisories (SIGMETs, AIRMETs, Convective SIGMETs, CWAs, and Aviation Watch Notification Messages).
• Synopsis. Review the type, location, and movement of weather systems and/or air masses that might affect the proposed flight.
• En route forecast. Review forecast information that will affect the proposed flight
(e.g., GFAs, TAFs, prognosis charts, and weather advisories). Review information in a logical order (i.e., climbout, en route, and descent).
• Destination forecast(s). Review the destination forecast, including significant changes expected within 1 hour before and after the ETA. Include an alternate airport forecast if an alternate airport is deemed necessary.
7.7 Additional Tools—NextGen, WTIC, and FIS-B. With the aid of technology
(e.g., ADS-B In), pilots can receive weather information in the cockpit. It is important to understand the proper use of METI and the operational shortfalls to enable consistent and effective pilot decision making relative to adverse weather. Next generation weather radar (NEXRAD) is made up of a mosaic of data sets that can be 15 to 20 minutes old by the time they are assembled and displayed in a cockpit. This latency may contribute to a pilot’s inability to correlate, interpret, and apply weather information related to VFR into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) weather factors (e.g., convection, icing, lowered ceilings, quickly emerging weather events, and precipitation), to real-time flight scenarios. However, having current weather and aeronautical information in the cockpit can help pilots plan more safe and efficient flightpaths, and make better strategic decisions during flight to avoid potentially hazardous developing weather. FIS-B is a part of the ADS-B system that automatically transmits a wide range of weather products available in the cockpit through the NWS:
• AIRmen’s METeorological Information (AIRMET).
• SIGnificant METeorological Information (SIGMET) and Convective SIGMET.
• Aviation Routine Weather Reports (METAR) and SPECIal Report of Meteorological Conditions (SPECI).
• Next generation weather radar (NEXRAD), regional and national.
• Notice to Airmen (NOTAM).
Note: FIS-B METI and aeronautical information do not include all of the weather products or NOTAMs. As a result, FIS-B METI and aeronautical information may not include all of the weather products or NOTAMs that a preflight briefing includes. NOTAM information is limited to the past 30 days. TFR NOTAMs and NOTAMs with end dates will not be purged after 30 days.
• Pilot Report (PIREP).
• Special Use Airspace (SUA) Status.
• Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF).
• Winds and Temperature Aloft.
• Traffic Information Services-Broadcast (TIS-B).
• Lightning.
• Turbulence.
• Icing.
• Cloud Tops.
• Graphical AIRMET.
• CWA.
8 SAFETY-RELATED DO’S AND DON’TS.
8.1 Do:
1. Establish personal minimums that reflect your level of proficiency.
2. Plan ahead and obtain an outlook briefing.
3. Obtain a standard briefing as close to your departure time as possible.
4. Obtain an abbreviated briefing just before takeoff if your standard briefing is 1 hour or more old or if the weather is questionable.
5. Allow more margin for weather at night. Clouds and the horizon may be difficult or impossible to see on dark nights. Always stay above the highest terrain until a safe landing is assured.
6. Check PIREPs, NOTAMs, AIRMETs, and SIGMETs.
7. Consider VFR flight following (ATC workload permitting).
8. Consider filing a VFR flight plan.
9. Have a contingency plan for alternates if unexpected circumstances arise.
10. Be familiar with any applicable disclaimers related to the accuracy of the information provided by the subscribed commercial service.
8.2 Don’t:
1. Plan flights that exceed your personal minimums or level of proficiency.
2. Plan flights in or near current or forecast convective activity.
3. Fly in or near thunderstorms. Scattered thunderstorms may be safely circumnavigated, but do not try to fly through or under one or closer than 20 nm) from one.
4. Continue VFR into IMC. Instead, wait it out or turn around if you find en route weather lowering below your personal limits.
5. Forget that areas en route, or even near airports, may be below VFR minimums, even though reporting stations are at or near VFR minimums. Be especially cautious when the temperature and dewpoint spread is 3 °C or less: fog may form.
6. Proceed “on top,” hoping to find a hole in the clouds at the other end or hoping to get ATC to talk you down if you get caught on top.
7. Fly into areas of rain when the air temperature is near freezing. Ice can form on the windshield, impairing forward vision, and on the wings, which can decrease aircraft performance, as well as other aircraft control, lifting, and nonlifting surfaces
(e.g., propellers, tail surfaces, or intakes).
Remember: Flight into known icing conditions is prohibited for all aircraft not properly certificated for flight in icing conditions or not properly equipped with ice protection equipment.
8. Hesitate to declare an emergency with ATC whenever the safety of flight is at risk.
9. Plan on using cockpit weather displays as a tactical means of navigating through convective weather.
9 AC FEEDBACK FORM. For your convenience, the AC Feedback Form is the last page of this AC. Note any deficiencies found, clarifications needed, or suggested improvements regarding the contents of this AC on the Feedback Form.
Ro bert C. Carty Deputy Executive Director, Flight Standards Service
Appendix A A-1 APPENDIX A. STANDARD BRIEFING ELEMENTS AND RESOURCES Element Important Checklist Items Value to Pilot
1) Adverse Conditions
• Weather Advisories
• NOTAMs/FICONs
• PIREPs
• AIRMETs:
o Icing o Turbulence o IFR o Thunderstorms
• SIGMET:
o Convective Activity o Low-Level Wind Shear Adverse conditions can be meteorological or aeronautical conditions that are reported or forecast that might influence the pilot to alter the proposed flight (e.g., low-level wind shear, thunderstorms, reported icing, turbulence, frontal zones along the route of flight, and NOTAMs such as airport/runway closures/conditions, air traffic delays, or TFRs).
2) Synopsis • Frontal System, Location, and Movement
• Air Mass
• IFR Conditions Determine when conditions may change based on location, movement, and speed of frontal system. This provides a picture for current and forecast weather conditions and whether VFR flight should be taken.
3) Current Conditions
• Current Weather Reports for Departure, En Route, and Destination
• PIREPs Check the current weather along the route and any PIREPs of actual weather conditions that occurred in flight.
4) Forecast Conditions
• Forecast Weather:
o Departure Forecast o En Route Forecast o Destination Forecast A forecast is information that will affect the entire proposed flight and should be reviewed in logical order (i.e., climbout or departure, en route, and descent or destination). The destination forecast includes significant changes expected within 1 hour before and after the ETA.
5) Winds Aloft
• Winds Aloft Forecast
• Temperature at Proposed Altitude A winds aloft forecast provides winds aloft for the proposed altitude using degrees of the compass. Winds should be averaged or interpolated if flying between reported levels. Temperature information is useful to help determine icing levels.
6) Notices to Airmen (NOTAM)
• Departure
• En Route
• Destination
• Alternate Airport(s) NOTAMs provide information that may have an impact along any part of the route of flight, such as airport and other aeronautical conditions. Other information to check includes TFRs, SUAs, ATC delays, Airport Construction Notices, and Prohibited Areas P-40 (Camp David) and P-56 (Washington, DC) and the SFRA for Washington, DC, if pertinent to the route.
Appendix A A-2
Adverse Synopsis Current Conditions Forecast Conditions Winds Aloft NOTAMs PIREPs
Source Description 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Products https://1800wxbrief.com Leidos Flight Service— FAA Contract Vendor Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Interactive Maps, Flight Planning and Briefings, winds aloft, Airport Information.
https://aviationweather.gov NOAA/Government website for aviation weather
Y Y Y Y Y Y AIRMET/SIGMET Map, Graphical AIRMET, GFA Tool, Radar, METARs, TAFs, CWA, PIREPs.
https://weathercams.faa.gov Alaska, Canada, and Colorado Y Y Y METARs, TAFs, PIREPs/AIRMETs.
https://www.weather.gov/aawu AAWU
Y Y Y Y Y AIRMET/SIGMET Map, Graphical AIRMET, GFA Tool, Radar, METARs, TAFs, CWA, PIREPs.
https://sua.faa.gov SUAs Y Text List and Graphic Maps for SUAs in ATC Centers, States, Airports.
https://www.spc.noaa.gov/ NOAA Storm Prediction Center Y Y Convective Outlook, Storm Reports, National Radar.
https://www.ncep.noaa.gov/ National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Y Y Y Y Y AIRMET/SIGMET Map, Graphical AIRMET, GFA Tool, Radar, METARs, TAFs.
Note: Link to https://aviationweather.gov.
https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr2/list.html TFRs
Y Y TFR List, TFR Map, TFR Airports, All NOTAMs.
Note: Link to https://sua.faa.gov.
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ National Hurricane Center (NHC) Y Y Y The NHC issues forecasts on tropical weather systems.
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/ Weather Prediction Center (WPC) Y Y Y The WPC provides analysis and forecast products on a national scale, including surface pressure and frontal analyses.
https://www.ssd.noaa.gov/VAAC /vaac.html Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers (VAAC) Y Y NOAA operates two VAACs, which issue forecasts of ash clouds following a volcanic eruption in their area of responsibility.
https://www.weather.gov/hfo/ NWS Forecast Office Honolulu, Hawaii Y Y Y Y Y Provides all weather products, except NOTAMs and PIREPs, for Hawaii.
Appendix A A-3
Adverse Synopsis Current Conditions Forecast Conditions Winds Aloft NOTAMs PIREPs
Source Description 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Products https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/ Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) Y Y The SWPC provides alerts, watches, warnings and forecasts for space weather events (e.g., solar storms) affecting or expected to affect Earth’s environment.
https://notams.aim.faa.gov/notam search/ Federal NOTAM System (FNS) Y Y Provides airport and runway closures and all other NOTAMs.
https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr2/list.html TFRs Y https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/pu blications/notices/ Published NOTAMs (the Notices to Airmen Publication (NTAP) was discontinued effective June 18, 2020) Y
https://www.fly.faa.gov/flyfaa/us map.jsp Air Traffic Control System Command Center (ATCSCC) Y ATC delays and/or flow control advisories.
https://www.faa.gov/mobile/ FAA Mobile Y ATC delays and/or flow control advisories.
https://www.fly.faa.gov/ais/jsp/ai
s.jsp Note: Users must subscribe to this service.
Aviation Information System (AIS) Y ATC delays and/or flow control advisories.
https://sua.faa.gov/sua/siteFrame.
app Published SUAs Y Additional information on SUAs not included in NOTAMs.
https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/fli ght_info/aeronav/Aero_Data/Apt _Constr_Notices/ FAA Airport Construction Notices
Y Y Visual depictions of airport construction NOTAMs on the affected airport diagram.
Note: The Federal NOTAM System (FNS) will automate the publication of Airport Construction Notices. At that time, the Airport Construction Notices web page will be disabled and users will be redirected to the FNS NOTAM Search web page.
Appendix A A-4
Adverse Synopsis Current Conditions Forecast Conditions Winds Aloft NOTAMs PIREPs
Source Description 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Products https://www.faa.gov/airports/run way_safety/videos/ FAA From the Flight Deck Videos Y Additional information on airport hot spots and other safety concerns.
https://sapt.faa.gov/default.php Service Availability Prediction Tool (SAPT) Y Provides availability of ADS-B, ADS-B Deviation Authorization Pre-Flight Tool (ADAPT), and RAIM.
Appendix B B-1 APPENDIX B. SAMPLE PREFLIGHT CHECKLIST B.1 Outlook Briefing Elements (more than 6 hours until departure). Check for reported or forecast meteorological or aeronautical conditions that might influence or alter the proposed flight.
☐ Weather advisories (SIGMET, AIRMET, convective SIGMETs, CWAs, and Aviation Watch Notification Messages) ☐ Synopsis (type, location, and movement of weather systems and/or air masses) ☐ En route and destination forecast (alternate if needed) ☐ NOTAMs (e.g., airport/runway closures, air traffic delays, and TFRs) B.2 Standard Briefing Elements.
☐ Adverse conditions (e.g., weather advisories, low-level wind shear, thunderstorms, icing, and frontal zones) ☐ Synopsis ☐ Current weather ☐ En route, destination, and alternate forecasts ☐ Winds aloft ☐ NOTAMs, TFRs, and PIREPs ☐ P40 (Camp David) and P56 (Washington DC); Washington, DC SFRA (if applicable) ☐ ATC delays B.3 Abbreviated Briefing Elements (update on changes, up to 2 hours prior to flight).
☐ Check updates to adverse conditions (reported or forecast) along the route of flight ☐ Check for any changes in meteorological and aeronautical conditions B.4 Non-Weather-Related Checklist Items.
☐ IMSAFE ☐ PAVE ☐ Personal minimums ☐ Fuel requirements ☐ Alternate airports ☐ Traffic delays ☐ Takeoff and landing distance information for airports ☐ Aircraft performance items (e.g., airport elevation, runway slope and conditions, and Weight and Balance) ☐ RAIM check
Advisory Circular Feedback Form If you find an error in this AC, have recommendations for improving it, or have suggestions for new items/subjects to be added, you may let us know by contacting the General Aviation and Commercial Division (AFS-800) at 9-AFS-800-Correspondence@faa.gov or the Flight Standards Directives Management Officer at 9-AWA-AFB-120-Directives@faa.gov.
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