FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute

Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-12/7

Title and Subtitle: Weather in the Cockpit: Priorities, Sources, Delivery, and Needs in the Next Generation Air Transportation System

Report Date: July 2012

Authors: Schvaneveldt RW, Branaghan RJ, Lamonica J, Beringer, DB

Abstract: A study was conducted to identify/verify weather factors important to the conduct of aviation activities and that would be important to consider in systems intended to operate within the NextGen environment. The study reviewed weather-information systems available for General Aviation aircraft at that time. The report presents a listing of recognized aviation weather hazards followed by rankings, by General Aviation pilots, of weather data elements associated with these hazards.

This is followed by a listing of pilot-accessible sources for the relevant weather data and examples of graphical presentations of much of the data. Included is a brief listing and discussion of avionics systems able to host these graphical data. Recommendations are provided for the presentation of weather data in the cockpit, the incorporation of decision aids, forecasts, reliability labeling, and display strategies.

Key Words: Cockpit Weather Information, Information Prioritization, NextGen, Pilot Weather-Data Preferences

No. of Pages: 33