I Made a Pirep Today

[Dave Piehler]

I made a Pirep today.  Haven't done that for a long time.  For that matter, haven't talked to FSS radio when aloft for a long time.

I was induced to do so because the ADS-B weather (well, FIS-B, I guess) displayed by Foreflight is so handy, and displays pireps conveniently and easily, I was inspired to try to be helpful.  .  Foreflight also makes it easy to look up a freq for FSS (now that Flight Watch is dead).

It was pretty cool to watch Foreflight after I filed the pirep and see it eventually appear on my iPad.  It appeared within 14 minutes.  I wonder if that's representative of the lag time for one to reach the cockpit after its filed.  Anyone else have any experience with that issue?

[carusoam]

Great question regarding potential ADSB weather delays.  

The graphics are a ton of data to collect, sew together, and distribute.  14 minutes is a lot of time to delay for such a small amount of important detail.

What were the details you reported?

Best regards,

-a-

[Dave Piehler]

The gravamen of the report was light turbulence.  I added temp aloft, visibility and clouds above.

[Guest Mike261]

i gave a pirep last week...i swear to god i think i woke up the woman at the bangor fss

 

mike

[Dave Piehler]

Well, that's another aspect of the story.  The specialist I spoke to at "Green Bay Radio" was clearly not in Green Bay, and just as clearly not from anywhere near Wisconsin.  I had to give her the identifiers for both the fix over which I was providing the pirep and my destination.  I have no idea where she was actually located, but I suspect it was far, far away.  That greatly extended the time it took to give the pirep.

[Guest Mike261]

yeah, it wasnt easy. i was transmitting on one frequency and receiving over the VOR. gave the standard turbulence report. radial, miles DME... had to give it three times. Back in the day when i was flying traffic reporters around, i gave a pirep every flight...it broke up the monotony and became a habit, so i know the drill. I think today most pireps aren't given to flight service and theres some confusion. The guy i was flying with said "what are you doing" i said giving a pirep... " no, I know what your doing, but why? nobody calls flight service anymore you nerd!" He had a point.

Mike

[carqwik]

I give pireps if the wx is different than forecast or something unexpected turns up...usually turbulence and icing.  I've found that the ARTCC controllers are most interested in those two items only....approach controllers seem interested in ice and cloud bases or tops.  Towers are interested in ceilings (e.g., where you break out) and visibility.  I think some of these pireps - usually at the enroute centers - make it into the system but not always.

 

[MB65E]

So 122.0 is done? Or will someone still pick up at Lockheed?

I remember reading it was going away. 

Btw-I really like the MOS on foreflight. 

-Matt

[JohnB]

I just started using the app, Aerovie Reports to do all of my pireps from my iPhone without having to call anyone on my radio.

https://www.aerovie.com/

I have noticed (when I have cell coverage) they appear within about 5 minutes on my foreflight screen. Easy to report winds, turbulence, tops and lots of other things. Downside is that there's not always cell coverage when flying, and when you land and get coverage again, by that time, the info will be old. But I do like the app!

[Raptor05121]

1 hour ago, MB65E said:

So 122.0 is done? Or will someone still pick up at Lockheed?

I remember reading it was going away. 

Btw-I really like the MOS on foreflight. 

-Matt

I called Gainesville Radio on 122.6 the other day for a PIREP. They told me 122.0 still works, (or was it 122.2?). The whole thing confuses me sometimes.