Legal Weather Sources?

Aside from a call or visit to an FSS, or DUATS, are there any other
"legal" sources from which a pilot is allowed to obtain weather reports?
I'm not talking about what's actually *useful* here...hell, sometimes
the weather channel is the most useful thing out there...I'm interested
in what's *legal*. What weather sources *must* we consult as pilots
from an FAA standpoint to prove that we have "become familiar with
all available information concerning that flight", as per FAR 91.103?

There are a whole slew of web sites offering "aviation weather" products,
such as:

http://adds.aviationweather.noaa.gov/
http://weather.unisys.com/aviation/
http://www.weathertap.com/
http://www.flightbrief.com/

How many (if any) of these are a "legal" source of pre-flight weather
information as stipulated by FAR 91.103, which states:

Sec. 91.103 - Preflight action.

Each pilot in command shall, before beginning a flight, become familiar with
all available information concerning that flight. This information must
include --

(a) For a flight under IFR or a flight not in the vicinity of an airport,
weather reports and forecasts, fuel requirements, alternatives available if
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
the planned flight cannot be completed, and any known traffic delays of which
the pilot in command has been advised by ATC



-- Dane

Only the NOAA site, to the best of my knowledge. And that is fairly
recently. When I read NTSB cases I note that the administrative law judges
put a lot of faith in government sources and blow off non-government
sources.

I may be wrong, but I don't think that the other sources you cite have their
own data-gathering mechanisms but rather massage what they get from
government sources. That is certainly true of the weather channel.

Bob Gardner

"Dane Spearing" wrote in message
...
Aside from a call or visit to an FSS, or DUATS, are there any other
"legal" sources from which a pilot is allowed to obtain weather reports?
I'm not talking about what's actually *useful* here...hell, sometimes
the weather channel is the most useful thing out there...I'm interested
in what's *legal*. What weather sources *must* we consult as pilots
from an FAA standpoint to prove that we have "become familiar with
all available information concerning that flight", as per FAR 91.103?

There are a whole slew of web sites offering "aviation weather" products,
such as:

http://adds.aviationweather.noaa.gov/
http://weather.unisys.com/aviation/
http://www.weathertap.com/
http://www.flightbrief.com/

How many (if any) of these are a "legal" source of pre-flight weather
information as stipulated by FAR 91.103, which states:

Sec. 91.103 - Preflight action.

Each pilot in command shall, before beginning a flight, become familiar
with
all available information concerning that flight. This information must
include --

(a) For a flight under IFR or a flight not in the vicinity of an airport,
weather reports and forecasts, fuel requirements, alternatives available
if
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
the planned flight cannot be completed, and any known traffic delays of
which
the pilot in command has been advised by ATC



-- Dane

On Mon, 27 Mar 2006 11:24:02 -0800, Bob Gardner wrote:

Only the NOAA site, to the best of my knowledge.

Bob,

See
http://home.nc.rr.com/mwaugh/Aviatio...g%20Slides.doc
for what appears to be a reasonable list of official weather sources.

It's dated 2002, but I couldn't find anything to show NOAA sites as an
allowable weather source either?

Allen

Bob Gardner wrote:
Only the NOAA site, to the best of my knowledge. And that is fairly
recently. When I read NTSB cases I note that the administrative law judges
put a lot of faith in government sources and blow off non-government
sources.

Seems to me from reading all those NTSB reports and some enforcement
cases, for most G/A ops, it is either a FSS or DUAT/DUATS briefing.

But, a lot of the corporate guys have a paid weather flight plan/weather
service, such as that provided by Jeppesen. They make records of
briefing and flight plan activity.

Then, most of the airlines have their own systems, which are accepted by
the FAA as being "legal."

Having said that, there is nothing that says the pilot can't use other
sources as supplements to the official briefing.

No one cares unless there is an incident or accident.

A recorded briefing from 1-800-wx brief puts the ball back on the feds
side of the court if there is a legal dispute...
The government has lost at least one suit by the pilot's widow over a
briefer failing to fully inform the pilot... Recently I wanted only a
specific piece of information from the briefer about fog along the
lakeshore, but he wasn't having any of that... He insisted on going
through wx, SA for the route of flight, forecast, winds aloft, notams,
tfr, etc... I suspect their legal department had a warning out over
condensed briefings...

He ended with the usual VFR flight not recommended so what's new...
I countered with "driving home after working a long shift not
recommended"... He laughed...

denny

I saw a news release in 2005 (or maybe 2006) announcing that the NWS/NOAA
sites were official. I don't have time today to research it.

Bob Gardner

"A Lieberman" wrote in message
.. .
On Mon, 27 Mar 2006 11:24:02 -0800, Bob Gardner wrote:

Only the NOAA site, to the best of my knowledge.

Bob,

See
http://home.nc.rr.com/mwaugh/Aviatio...g%20Slides.doc
for what appears to be a reasonable list of official weather sources.

It's dated 2002, but I couldn't find anything to show NOAA sites as an
allowable weather source either?

Allen

"Denny" wrote in message
ups.com...
... Recently I wanted only a
specific piece of information from the briefer about fog along the
lakeshore, but he wasn't having any of that... He insisted on going
through wx, SA for the route of flight, forecast, winds aloft, notams,
tfr, etc... I suspect their legal department had a warning out over
condensed briefings...

He ended with the usual VFR flight not recommended so what's new...
I countered with "driving home after working a long shift not
recommended"... He laughed...

Denny, did you say the magic word "Abbreviated?" during the request? My
experience in NY is that when I say that I want an Abbreviated Briefing, the
briefer will take my info and then ask, "OK, what would you like?"

Marco



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Dane, would AIM 7-1-11(d) give you the assurance you are looking for?

Bob Gardner

"Dane Spearing" wrote in message
...
Aside from a call or visit to an FSS, or DUATS, are there any other
"legal" sources from which a pilot is allowed to obtain weather reports?
I'm not talking about what's actually *useful* here...hell, sometimes
the weather channel is the most useful thing out there...I'm interested
in what's *legal*. What weather sources *must* we consult as pilots
from an FAA standpoint to prove that we have "become familiar with
all available information concerning that flight", as per FAR 91.103?

There are a whole slew of web sites offering "aviation weather" products,
such as:

http://adds.aviationweather.noaa.gov/
http://weather.unisys.com/aviation/
http://www.weathertap.com/
http://www.flightbrief.com/

How many (if any) of these are a "legal" source of pre-flight weather
information as stipulated by FAR 91.103, which states:

Sec. 91.103 - Preflight action.

Each pilot in command shall, before beginning a flight, become familiar
with
all available information concerning that flight. This information must
include --

(a) For a flight under IFR or a flight not in the vicinity of an airport,
weather reports and forecasts, fuel requirements, alternatives available
if
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
the planned flight cannot be completed, and any known traffic delays of
which
the pilot in command has been advised by ATC



-- Dane

Well, I finally found what I was looking for: the FAA approved list of
QICP's (Qualified Internet Communications Providers):

http://www.faa.gov/ats/ars/qicp/list%20of%20qicp.html

This is the list of organizations that are authorized to provide access to
aviation weather and Notices to Airmen via the internet, as per FAA
Advisory Circular 00-62:

http://www.faa.gov/ats/ars/qicp/AC.doc

-- Dane


In article ,
Bob Gardner wrote:
Dane, would AIM 7-1-11(d) give you the assurance you are looking for?

Bob Gardner

"Dane Spearing" wrote in message
...
Aside from a call or visit to an FSS, or DUATS, are there any other
"legal" sources from which a pilot is allowed to obtain weather reports?
I'm not talking about what's actually *useful* here...hell, sometimes
the weather channel is the most useful thing out there...I'm interested
in what's *legal*. What weather sources *must* we consult as pilots
from an FAA standpoint to prove that we have "become familiar with
all available information concerning that flight", as per FAR 91.103?

There are a whole slew of web sites offering "aviation weather" products,
such as:

http://adds.aviationweather.noaa.gov/
http://weather.unisys.com/aviation/
http://www.weathertap.com/
http://www.flightbrief.com/

How many (if any) of these are a "legal" source of pre-flight weather
information as stipulated by FAR 91.103, which states:

Sec. 91.103 - Preflight action.

Each pilot in command shall, before beginning a flight, become familiar
with
all available information concerning that flight. This information must
include --

(a) For a flight under IFR or a flight not in the vicinity of an airport,
weather reports and forecasts, fuel requirements, alternatives available
if
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
the planned flight cannot be completed, and any known traffic delays of
which
the pilot in command has been advised by ATC



-- Dane

These sources may be "authorised" but is there anything in the FARs
which makes the sourcing of weather data from other providers illegal?

No, you can check weather anywhere. If you do not check weather from an
authorized source (in addition to whatever else you do) then you would
be deemed to not have "checked all available information".

Jose
--
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for Email, make the obvious change in the address.