AVIATION FORECAST PRODUCT
VERIFICATION
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Verify Optimum
Path Aircraft Routing System (OPARS)
requests, Horizontal Weather Depictions
(HWDs),
Airmen’s Meteorological
Information (AIRMETs)/Significant
Meteorological Information (SIGMETs), and
Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts (TAFs) for
accuracy.
VERIFICATION OF OPARS
T h e
O P A R S U s e r ’ s M a n u a l ,
FLENUMMETOCCENINST 3710.1, and the AG2
TRAMAN, volume 2, list procedures and the format for
OPARS requests.
VERIFICATION OF HWDs
Procedures governing flight weather briefings and
preparing DD Form 175-1 and U.S. Navy
Flight Forecast Folders are outlined in
NAVMETOCCOMINST 3140.14. Both the AG2
TRAMAN, volume 2, and NAVMETOCCOMINST
3140.14 list procedures and formats for the preparation
and dissemination of flight weather packets.
VERIFICATION OF AIRMETS AND
SIGMETS
The Airman's Information Manual, Official Guide
to Basic Flight Information, and ATC Procedures briefly
discuss in-flight weather advisories disseminated by the
National Weather Service (NWS) as well as foreign
nations.
VERIFICATION OF TAFs
Commands throughout the claimancy having
aircraft on station prepare and update TAFs.
Information on the TAF code is presented in the AG2
TRAMAN, volume 2.
NAVMETOCCOMINST
3143.1 promulgates instructions for using the code.
As discussed earlier in this chapter, Aerographers
should be familiar with the format and encoding of
OPARS, HWDs, AIRMETs/SIGMETs, and TAFs. But
these products serve little value unless there is a
procedure in place to verify them for accuracy. By
verifying these products we take into consideration
lessons learned when preparing them in the future.
The last area discussed in this chapter covers
sources of climatic information.
CLIMATOLOGY
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Recognize
available sources of climatic information for
the planning of exercises.
In preparing for operations or exercises, the
officer-in-tactical command (OTC) and commanding
officers must be briefed regarding the climatic
conditions expected to occur during the operation or
exercise. Climatology is normally used for long range
planning only and should not be used when reliable,
real-time data becomes available. However, in certain
situations, it maybe the only forecast data available. For
more information on this subject refer to
NAVMETOCCOMINST 3140.1.
Climatology generally refers to summarizations
and/or studies of historical data. Climatology data can
be presented in a variety of forms (tabular, graphical,
narrative, or analytical charts). When summaries and
studies are used for planning, it should be kept in mind
that statistical averaging causes smoothing of the
observed data. Additionally, the mean or average of a
given parameter may be a value that is seldom actually
observed.
Units should review their climatology publications
on a routine basis to ensure they have the necessary
publications for their area of responsibility (AOR) plus
any other areas as may be required during contingency
operations.
Reference material, which may be used in the
preparation of forecaster’s handbooks and independent
studies in the fields of oceanography and meteorology,
is available through the Naval Research Laboratory
(NRL Monterey).
PUBLICATIONS AND SUMMARIES
Existing climatological publications and summaries
can satisfy many requirements. They should be
consulted as a primary source in order to avoid
unnecessary or duplicative data processing efforts.
Included among these are the following:
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