New FAA Aviation Weather Handbook

[AggieMike88]

The FAA has published a new Weather Handbook that consolidated several other publications including the well known Advisory Circulars.

https://www.faa.gov/regulationspoli...ation/faa-h-8083-28-aviation-weather-handbook


Preface
This handbook consolidates the weather information from the following advisory circulars (AC) into one source document. By doing this, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) intends to streamline access to the FAA’s weather documentation for users of the National Airspace System (NAS). The following ACs will remain in effect, but they will eventually be cancelled at a later date following the publication of this handbook:

• AC 00-6, Aviation Weather.
• AC 00-24, Thunderstorms.
• AC 00-30, Clear Air Turbulence Avoidance.
• AC 00-45, Aviation Weather Services.
• AC 00-54, Pilot Windshear Guide.
• AC 00-57, Hazardous Mountain Winds.

This handbook is designed as a technical reference for all who operate in the NAS. Pilots, dispatchers, and operators will find this handbook a valuable resource for flight planning and decision making.
This handbook conforms to pilot weather training and certification concepts established by the FAA. The discussion and explanations reflect the most commonly used weather products and information.

 

[TCABM]

That is great to hear. Thanks for sharing @AggieMike.

 

[Sonali Bhat]

Thank you for sharing!

 

[William Pete Hodges]

The FAA and the NWS have a close working relationship, but the systems available for us to use have only relatively short lead times. These systems can be very complex, and I get that for IFR and MVFR flight planning it has to be that way. Their newer AWC Aviation Graphical Forecast tool is a very good tool and is relatively easy to use once you get used to it. https://www.aviationweather.gov/gfa

To me, one thing the FAA doesn't seem to consider of value is the ability for VFR pilots to be able to pick good VFR weather several days in advance. VFR pilots are limited to VMC weather and the ability to pick good weather days a week or two in advance is a big help in planning safe flight times in relation to other activities. The NWS does have a few good tools for 7-Day weather planning, but those tools aren't tailored for aviation. The best tool IMHO is the expanded weekly view of the NWS graphical forecast by state and region.
https://graphical.weather.gov/sectors/marylandWeek.php?expandweek=ON#tabs https://graphical.weather.gov/sectors/midatlanticWeek.php?expandweek=ON#tabs
These tools show forecast weather every 3 hours for today and 2 more days and then every 6 hours for the following 4 days for a total of 7 days. This is my primary tool for picking good VFR weather several days in advance. WINDY has the ability to look ahead about 12 days, but it is not as easy to use as any of the tools I have already described. It would be wonderful if the FAA adapted their existing AWC Aviation Graphical Weather forecast tool into a separate tool with an expanded time frame of 8 or more days. If they combined the information on the above tools onto the AWC format it would be a pleasure to use.

I would like to see the FAA improve its existing weather tools to include longer term weather for VFR flight planning. I have suggested this before, but so far nobody at the FAA or the NWS has responded in a positive way. In 2013 I wrote an article about this in Air Facts Journal. Last year I did a series of bare bones videos on tiktok. I think if the FAA and NWS embraced the concept of longer term VFR weather planning it could make the skies safer for everyone. Thanks for reading.

https://airfactsjournal.com/2013/05/7-day-vfr-cross-country-weather-planning/
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRgBXbhK/

 

[TCABM]

…
Realistically, once you get beyond about 5 days, the best you can do is to determine whether or not the temps are going to be above or below average or if the precip will be above or below average. The window of error is +/- 12 hours at 5 days and +/- 18 hours at 7 days. It's not scientifically possible to determine if there will be severe turbulence or potential for icing or thunderstorms along your route. You can give a broad perspective that a "weather system" is expected to move through that route sometime during a 12 hour period, but the details of what that may mean for your own personal risk is extremely difficult at best.

I think too many people don’t understand this.

All I wan’t is a “batting average” for forecaster accuracy added to each forecast.

 

[texasclouds]

Thanks for sharing