QICP Cancelled, Free Weather or What?

[201er]

Advisory Circular 00-62 advising QICP standards for online weather providers was recently cancelled. How does that affect the way we get weather briefings? Does this mean we are free to use any source as a "legal" briefing? Or does it mean that Duat(s) and others are no longer "legal" and we must return to phone briefings as the only legally accepted source?

[Bob_Belville]

I'd read it to mean the former.

[Jamie]

Where's the CFR that says we have to have a specific briefing? All I remember is something about my responsiblity to familiarize myself with any and all relavent information etc etc for the flight.

 

I find this in the AIM:

 

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).

 

"encouraged to use".

 

AFAICT, the only advantage of DUATs is that what I was given is logged with a recognized third party (DUATS) and associated with my tail number. That allows me to prove what I got, when. If you brief off the weather channel, and then go to aviationweather.gov, and then go to faa.gov for notams, you aren't easily able to prove you did anything. But, as I understand it, you're legal because you have the relevent information.

[Jamie]

Aha.

 

Sec. 91.103

Preflight action.

Each pilot in command shall, before beginning a flight, become familiar with all available information concerning that flight. This information must include--

(a) For a flight under IFR or a flight not in the vicinity of an airport, weather reports and forecasts, fuel requirements, alternatives available if the planned flight cannot be completed, and any known traffic delays of which the pilot in command has been advised by ATC;

(b \) For any flight, runway lengths at airports of intended use, and the following takeoff and landing distance information:

(1) For civil aircraft for which an approved Airplane or Rotorcraft Flight Manual containing takeoff and landing distance data is required, the takeoff and landing distance data contained therein; and

(2) For civil aircraft other than those specified in paragraph (b\)(1) of this section, other reliable information appropriate to the aircraft, relating to aircraft performance under expected values of airport elevation and runway slope, aircraft gross weight, and wind and temperature.

 

This says nothing about where or from who.

[danb35]

What Jamie said.  For Part 91, at least, there is no such thing as a "legal" briefing.  A record of having gotten a weather briefing might look good in the accident report, though.

[midlifeflyer]

AFAICT, the only advantage of DUATs is that what I was given is logged with a recognized third party (DUATS) and associated with my tail number. That allows me to prove what I got, when. If you brief off the weather channel, and then go to aviationweather.gov, and then go to faa.gov for notams, you aren't easily able to prove you did anything. But, as I understand it, you're legal because you have the relevent information.

 

Pretty much it. With the cancellation of AC 00-62, the FAA is no longer requiring the use of a Qualified Internet Communications Provider for online weather briefings. Just means that specific vendors are not being certified as providing FAA approved weather products in a way that records that you got a briefing. That does not, of course end the advisability of using a provider that uses FAA primary weather information product sources and records the existence of a weather briefing in a way that evidences compliance with 91.103 (and equivalent commercial operator) requirements. The cancellation notice itself is pretty short and to the point: http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/Cancellation_Memno_AC_00-62.pdf

[carusoam]

Weather dissemination has changed a lot since the Internet has been born. Used to get the daily broadcast at 7:00am. Then they invented the weather channel. And now they have weatherTAP on my cell phone indicating storm cell position, strength, height, direction and speed. And the position of the radar source.

Nicely detailed weather, in flight, by ADSB and XM.

In combination with a strike finder, or similar, do we "need" to get a weather briefing prior....?

I guess the FAA was unable to keep up with modernization of the weather broadcast system.

Of course the weather briefing is still a good idea. It's generally acceptable old news by the time you use it.

Best regards,

-a-

[midlifeflyer]

Weather dissemination has changed a lot since the Internet has been born. Used to get the daily broadcast at 7:00am. Then they invented the weather channel. And now they have weatherTAP on my cell phone indicating storm cell position, strength, height, direction and speed. And the position of the radar source.

Nicely detailed weather, in flight, by ADSB and XM.

In combination with a strike finder, or similar, do we "need" to get a weather briefing prior....?

 

 

I'll go with "yes."

 

I still want to know aviation-specific weather forecast information as part of my planning and decision-making before I take off. I've been in some beautiful Weather Channel weather in some pretty nasty turbulence.