Forecasting Safe Skies
‘Weather Wisdom’ Magazine Issue
By Larry Fields, FAA Flight Standards Service Executive Director
With winter nearly behind us, pilots who have patiently hunkered down for the season can soon look forward to longer and warmer days to get back in the cockpit. As you shake off the rust and prepare for more routine flying, I encourage you to take some time to shore up your meteorological moxie. Spring weather patterns can often take pilots by surprise, so being prepared and knowing where and how to use the information at your disposal is key. This issue of FAA Safety Briefing is one way to help boost your weather wisdom.
Accident data shows a clear pattern of just how lethal weather-related accidents can be. In the feature article “Pushing Your Luck,” we dive into the data to see where pilots most often fall short in their planning and execution when trying to avoid inclement conditions. VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions is a top contender, but you may be surprised to see how some other areas ranked.
Preflight weather briefings are essential to safety, so we asked Jeff Arnold, Leidos Flight Service’s Director of Innovation and Outreach, to give readers an update on the flight planning site 1800wxbrief.com and how to make the most of your next online self-briefing.
Whether you’re a student pilot learning the ropes, or a veteran flyer, it’s vital to know what types of weather information are available and which weather reports are best to review. The amount of information can sometimes be a bit overwhelming and difficult to decipher. Check out the feature “A Fresh Forecast” for a primer on how to glean useful and practical information for your flight from METARs, TAFs and other weather reports.
Hearing a different perspective on weather can be enlightening and extremely valuable. Fixed-wing flyers could very well benefit from some of the micro-meteorology nuances that lighter-than-air pilots deem most useful in their practice. Hot air balloon pilot/instructor and FAA Safety Team Representative Adam Magee “opens the envelope” on some of this critical atmospheric insight in his feature “Expanding the Envelope with Aviation Weather.”
In this issue we also introduce the FAA’s new Administrator, Michael Whitaker. Hear more about Michael’s priorities for the aviation industry as he embarks on his five-year term in the feature “Aviate, Navigate, Communicate.”
Finally, we honor the hundreds of airmen who have been recognized as FAA Master Pilot and Master Mechanic award winners in 2023. These esteemed awards are a tribute to achieving 50 years of safety and professionalism as a pilot or mechanic. Please join me in congratulating these men and women for their amazing achievements. Check out the full list of award winners in this issue’s “Roll of Honor” along with helpful information on how to nominate someone you know.
Before I go, allow me to leave you with a few weather-related resources you may find helpful. First is the From the Flight Deck (FTFD) Spring Pilot Workshop from 2023, bit.ly/FTFDSpring23, which covers a host of helpful advice for pilots returning to the skies. I recommend you also have a look at the main FTFD webpage for a list of videos on airport-specific safety issues and other challenge areas such as complex airport geometry, phraseology, and wrong surface landings.
Two messages from our Fly Safe campaign also cover some important weather topics. There’s one on developing personal minimums and leveraging the FAA’s expanding weather camera program as well as another on making the most of available weather resources.
I hope these resources. along with the insightful content within this issue, can help expand your weather wisdom and provide guidance on making more well-informed decisions before your next flight.
Safe flying!
FAA Safety Briefing: Weather Wisdom
Magazine Feature Articles
Aviate, Navigate, Communicate
An Interview with FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker
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