Pilots & Weather
Considerations
Federal Aviation
Administration
Pilots & Weather Considerations
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Pilots & Weather Considerations
Pilots & Weather Considerations
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Federal Aviation
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Pilots & Weather Considerations
 What this seminar isn’t
– Weather 101
– How to read METARs
Pilots & Weather Considerations
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Weather Considerations
 Personal Rules to LIVE by
– Bright Lines you don’t cross
 Personal WX minima VFR/IFR
 PAVE (pre-flight planning)
 CARE (in-flight decision making)
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Weather Considerations
 Establish weather criteria in the comfort of
your own home when you don’t have a
specific trip in mind
 Recognize the difference between “legal”
and “appropriate”
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Weather Considerations
 Personal VFR Minimums
– Ceiling
– Visibility
– Max X-Wind Component
– Fuel Reserves (Day/Night)
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Weather Considerations
 Personal IFR Minimums
– Precision Approaches
 Ceiling (above published mins)
 Visibility (above published mins)
– Non-Precision Approaches
– Takeoff Minimums
– Fuel Reserves
– Freezing Level height above cruise alt
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PAVE
During Pre-flight planning evaluate:
 Pilot
 Aircraft
 enVironment
 External Pressures
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PAVE
In pre-flight planning the PAVE checklist
reminds you to consider:
 Pilot: Health (IMSAFE - Illness, Medication,
Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue, and Emotional
state) qualifications, capabilities, currency,
proficiency, IFR/VFR
 Aircraft: Equipment, performance, load, fuel
capacity, runway surface and length,
operating ceiling, limitations
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PAVE
The PAVE checklist continued:
 EnVironment: Weather, personal minimums,
terrain, over water, high altitude operations,
airspace and NOTAMs
 External Pressures: Expectant host, planned
meeting, special event, passengers
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Elements in the PAVE checklist are
cumulative. A major problem in any area is
reason to cancel the flight but multiple minor
problems in more than one area can also
make delaying the flight a good idea.
A single problem in any area should be a
yellow flag to take notice but two or more
problem areas should be a red flag to take
action and change your plan.
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CARE
In flight monitor changes in the PAVE criteria
and consider:
 Consequences
 Alternatives
 Reality
 External Pressures
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CARE
Once you’re airborne use the CARE checklist to stay
on top of factors affecting the flight.
 Consequences: Consider consequences of
changing risk factors during the flight (Pilot,
Aircraft, EnVironment, and External pressures)
and the decisions you make regarding them.
 Alternatives: Have a back up when you can’t
continue as planned, remembering that your
alternatives will decrease as the flight progresses
and you burn the fuel that will allow you to take a
different route or divert
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CARE
The CARE checklist continued:
 Reality: Maintain situational awareness and
deal with the actual conditions, not what you
hoped or planned would happen. Accept
change and take proper action
 External pressures: Other people or
personal commitments cause goal oriented
behavior at the expense of making good
decisions.
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CARE
As with the PAVE checklist, items in the CARE
checklist are also cumulative. While a single
major problem in any area can cause a
complete change of plans, minor problems
in two or more items of the CARE checklist
should cause you to re-evaluate the
situation and take appropriate action
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Weather Considerations
The PAVE and CARE checklists are your
virtual co-pilot, the challenging voice in the
back of your head that causes you to
evaluate each flight management decision
you make and validate that decision against
a personal standard rather than just winging
it.
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Weather Considerations
 Local Weather Stuff
– Lingering Marine Layer
– Santa Ana Winds
 Turbulence
 Mountain Wave
– Low freezing levels
 Snow & Ice away from home
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Weather Considerations
 Would you be happy with the headline in
tomorrow’s newspaper?
 Would you do this with 100 paying
passengers in the back?
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FAASafety.gov
 Register at FAASafety.gov
– Document your support for the program
 Attend Safety Seminars
– Green Stamps in the Bank
 NASA Incident Reporting
– Immunity for unintentional violations
– 5 year clock
– Must be able to document to be able to use
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Flying is not inherently dangerous, but
to an even greater extent than the sea,
it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness,
incapacity, or neglect.
Thank you for attending.
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