Two-Day Event will Focus On The Need To Improve PIREP And Weather Dissemination Process

The use of pilot weather reports, commonly known as PIREPs, will be the topic of discussion during a National Transportation Safety Board forum scheduled for June 21 and 22, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the NTSB’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.

The forum, entitled “PIREPs: Pay it Forward…Because Weather for One is Weather for None,” will focus on the need to improve the PIREP and weather dissemination process as well as future improvements and emerging technologies that may provide greater pilot awareness of weather conditions.

“We cannot control the weather but we certainly can plan for it when we receive reports about conditions experienced by others along our intended route,” said NTSB Member Robert Sumwalt, the forum’s presiding board member. “For PIREPs to be most effective they must be accurate and made quickly available in the National Airspace System. There are several problems degrading the effectiveness of PIREPs and it is our intent to use information gathered during our forum – from across the broad spectrum of the aviation community – to find ways to best improve PIREP handling and use.”

Topics for the panel discussions include: the use and significance of PIREP information to weather services, air traffic controllers, pilots and researchers; the lifecycle of a PIREP; PIREP training, education and operations; and future improvements and emerging technologies for PIREPs.

The NTSB anticipates more than 16 aviation stakeholders and partners, including federal agencies, airlines, associations and academic organizations, to participate in the two-day forum.

(Source: NTSB. Image from file showing PIREP chart)

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