Aero-Tips!

A good pilot is always learning -- how many times have you heard this old standard throughout your flying career? There is no truer statement in all of flying (well, with the possible exception of "there are no old, bold pilots.") It's part of what makes aviation so exciting for all of us... just when you think you've seen it all, along comes a scenario you've never imagined.

Aero-News has called upon the expertise of Thomas P. Turner, master CFI and all-around-good-guy, to bring our readers -- and us -- daily tips to improve our skills as aviators, and as representatives of the flying community. Some of them, you may have heard before... but for each of us, there will also be something we might never have considered before, or something that didn't "stick" the way it should have the first time we memorized it for the practical test.

It is our unabashed goal that "Aero-Tips" will help our readers become better, safer pilots -- as well as introducing our ground-bound readers to the concepts and principles that keep those strange aluminum-and-composite contraptions in the air... and allow them to soar magnificently through it.

Look for our daily Aero-Tips segments, coming each day to you through the Aero-News Network. Suggestions for future Aero-Tips are always welcome, as are additions or discussion of each day's tips. Remember... when it comes to being better pilots, we're all in this together.

Aero-Tips 04.30.06

METARs (short for METeorological Aerodrome Reports) are the primary aviation weather observation taken at airports. 

What you really need to know

Once you know how to decode METARs or can access plain-language reports, here’s what you need to know about METARs:

1. METARs report observed weather within five nautical miles of the reporting point (although they may report “distant” lightning or cumulus build-ups).
2. METARs are issued are reporting points at or about 50 minutes past each hour
3. Collection and dissemination of METAR data takes 10 to 20 minutes.  Hence you can expect to receive new METAR data by about 10 minutes past each hour (this is true for in-cockpit weather uplinks as well).
4. Special-issue METARs are issued as needed when conditions change dramatically between normal reporting times. These, too, will take 10 to 20 minutes to be available in a weather briefing or uplink.
5. The longer it’s been since a METAR observation, the less accurately it reflects current weather.

Aero-tip of the day: There’s a lot more to know about METARs than simply how to decode the information. Know when METARs are issued, and how accurate you can expect them to be.

FMI: Aero-Tips