What are Metars and TAFs?

A METAR report contains information on the current weather conditions of the facility releasing the report. It is released according to a regular schedule unless sudden or exceptional weather changes occur. TAF stands for Terminal Aerodrome Forecast.

What does AWOS stand for?

Automated Weather Observing System
Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) units are operated and controlled by the Federal Aviation Administration. These systems are among the oldest automated weather stations and predate ASOS.

What is METAR speci?

METAR/SPECI. A METAR is a routine report of meteorological conditions at an aerodrome. A SPECI is a special report of meteorological conditions, issued when one or more elements meet specified criteria significant to aviation.

How do you read a METAR?

The first two digits are the date, the 16th of the month, and the last four digits are the time of the METAR, which is always given in coordinated universal time (UTC), otherwise known as Zulu time. A ā€œZā€ is appended to the end of the time to denote that the time is given in Zulu time (UTC) as opposed to local time.

Are METARs in AGL or MSL?

TAF’s and METAR’s are always AGL. Area Forecasts (FA) are always MSL unless the height is specifically tagged AGL or CIG (for “ceiling”). It may seem annoying that FA’s are MSL, but they cover large areas where the terrain may vary but the clould bases are usually at a constant height MSL.

What is ATIS and AWOS?

Introduction: There are numerous ways that pilots receive important broadcasts from ATC. Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS)/Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS): Automatic Flight Information Service (AFIS) – Alaska FSSs Only.

How do I decode a METAR report?

Decoding a METAR

  1. PHNL = the airfield, Honolulu’s Daniel K.
  2. 250953Z = the date and time of the report.
  3. 05007G17KT = the wind conditions.
  4. 10SM = visibility.
  5. FEW024 / FEW040 = cloud cover.
  6. 27/19 = the temperature and dewpoint.
  7. A3001 = the atmospheric pressure, a.k.a. altimeter setting.

Categories: Blog