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7-1-3. Use of Aviation Weather Products

a. Air carriers and operators certificated under the provisions of 14
CFR Part 119 are required to use the aeronautical weather information
systems defined in the Operations Specifications issued to that
certificate holder by the FAA. These systems may utilize basic
FAA/National Weather Service (NWS) weather services, contractor- or
operator-proprietary weather services and/or Enhanced Weather
Information System (EWINS) when approved in the Operations
Specifications. As an integral part of this system approval, the
procedures for collecting, producing and disseminating aeronautical
weather information, as well as the crew member and dispatcher
training to support the use of system weather products, must be
accepted or approved.

b. Operators not certificated under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 119
are encouraged to use FAA/NWS products through Flight Service
Stations, Direct User Access Terminal System (DUATS), and/or Flight
Information Services Data Link (FISDL).

c. The suite of available aviation weather product types is
expanding, with the development of new sensor systems, algorithms and
forecast models. The FAA and NWS, supported by the National Center
for Atmospheric Research and the Forecast Systems Laboratory, develop
and implement new aviation weather product types through a
comprehensive process known as the Aviation Weather Technology
Transfer process. This process ensures that user needs, and technical
and operational readiness requirements are met as experimental
product types mature to operational application.

d. The development of enhanced communications capabilities, most
notably the Internet, has allowed pilots access to an ever increasing
range of weather service providers and proprietary products. It is
not the intent of the FAA to limit operator use of this weather
information. However, pilots and operators should be aware that
weather services provided by entities other than the 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 consider the following in
determining the suitability of that service or product. In many
cases, this may be accomplished by provider disclosure or description
of services or products:

1. Is the service or product applicable for aviation use?

(a) Does the product or service provide information which
is usable in aeronautical weather decision-making?

(b) Does the product or service fail to provide data
necessary to make critical aeronautical weather
decisions?

2. Does the service provide data/products produced by approved
aviation weather information sources?

(a) Is this data or product modified?

(b) If so, is the modification process described, and is
the final product in a configuration which supports
aeronautical weather decision-making?

3. Are the weather products professionally developed and
produced and/or quality-controlled by a qualified aviation
meteorologist?

4. Does the provider's quality assurance plan include the
capability to monitor generated products and contain a
procedure to correct deficiencies as they are discovered?

5. Is the product output consistent with original data sources?

6. Is the product compliant with applicable RTCA, Inc., Society
of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO) standards?

7. Are education and training materials sufficient to enable
users to use the new product effectively?

8. Are the following key elements of the product intuitive and
easy for the user to interpret:

(a) Type of data/product.

(b) Currency or age of data/product.

(c) Method for displaying and decoding the data/product.

(d) Location/mapping of the data.

9. Is the product suitable for use, considering potential pilot
misunderstandings due to:

(a) Complexity of the product.

(b) Nonstandard display (colors, labels).

(c) Incorrect mapping/display of data.

(d) Incorrect overlay of weather data with other data
(terrain, NAVAID's, waypoints, etc.).

(e) Inappropriate display of missing data.

(f) Missing/inaccurate time/date stamp on product.

e. Pilots and operators should be cautious when using unfamiliar
products, or products not supported by technical specifications which
satisfy the considerations noted above.

NOTE-
When in doubt, use FAA/NWS products with the consultation of an FAA
Flight Service Station Specialist.

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