How to Watch the Weather Forecast Like A Pilot

by Paul Pakusch

Last weekend, as the ice storm was approaching, Stacey and I considered whether we should go ahead with our plans for a night out or not.  Stacey doesn't particularly enjoy driving, so she often leaves it up to me.  She said, "You're the driver, so you decide if we go out or not."

My main concern was whether roads would have black ice or not.  Actually, the correct term is "clear ice," if you want to talk knowledgeably like an airplane pilot.  The ice that you can't see on roads is actually clear, but it is commonly known as black ice because you see the blackish pavement below the ice, not the ice itself, which is clear so you can't see it.

When a pilot checks the weather forecast for a flight, he or she gets a personalized weather briefing from one of two services contracted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).  (Aviation fuel taxes pay for this, in case you wondered)  The briefing includes such things as current and forecast conditions at the departure point, the destination and along the route.  Pilots need to know what sort of weather they can expect to need to deal with along the way.  The briefing includes severe weather alerts and other conditions that pilots need to know about.  These and other factors are considered as a pilot makes a decision about whether to proceed with the flight as planned, or make other alternate plans as needed.

It's important to realize that no weather briefing is cast in stone.  Conditions constantly change and sometimes pilots need to make changes to the route while in flight.  Therefore pilots get timely weather reports while in flight. A pilot must always have an "out."  If the weather deteriorates significantly, he or she must be able to return to the departure point, alter the route, or go to a different destination.

As a private pilot myself, I take the same approach when I'm considering driving in bad weather conditions.  For example, in the case of a winter storm, I check several weather sources for forecasts to see how they compare.  If I feel comfortable making the drive, I proceed, but with an "out." I consider what might make me decide to turn around and come home, and I keep watching weather conditions as I drive.

In the case of last week's ice storm, we kept our plans for the evening as tentative.  It appeared to me that the ice accumulation that was expected was not arriving in our area as early as originally forecast.  Our destination for the night out was in Farmington, NY, and our home is in Brighton.  I considered that most of our route would be on the NYS Thruway, which I know from experience is generally maintained well with salting and snow removal.  So, we set out as planned, I was ready to turn back home at any point, and I kept a sharp eye on the road for clear ice.  I even safely slowed down a few times and braked hard to see if my mini-van would slide or not.  Everything seemed fine so we proceeded.  As it turned out, we had no issues whatsoever with weather and enjoyed a night out!