Weather Briefings
Official weather briefings can be obtained though 1-800-WX-BRIEF, or though 1800wxbrief.com.
Types of Briefings
- Standard briefing
- Request anytime you are planning a flight for less than 6 hours in the future
- Abbreviate briefing
- Use when you only need a few items
- Outlook briefing
- Use when more than 6 hours from your departure time
- Should be used for planning purposes only
- Inflight briefing
- Obtained while in flight
Using Unofficial Weather Sources
AIM 7-1-3 discusses weather that comes from third party vendors, not official Flight Service or NWS systems:
Pilots and operators should be aware that weather services provided by entities other than FAA, NWS or their contractors (such as the DUATS and FISDL providers) may not meet FAA/NWS quality control standards. Hence, operators and pilots contemplating using such services should request and/or review an appropriate description of services and provider disclosure. This should include, but is not limited to, the type of weather product (e.g., current weather or forecast weather), the currency of the product (i.e., product issue and valid times), and the relevance of the product. Pilots and operators should be cautious when using unfamiliar products, or products not supported by FAA/NWS technical specifications.