Lesson 7 Review
General airport characteristics such as geography, terrain, nearby vegetation, bodies of water, etc., can all influence weather conditions and the onset or dissipation of those conditions at the airport. It is important you become familiar with these characteristics before you issue aviation forecast for the airports in your area.
Be familiar with the weather observations available in and around your TAF sites. Be aware of the equipment used, frequency of the observations, and observation backup procedures.
Aviation Forecast Preparation System (AvnFPS) is an AWIPS application to prepare and monitor aviation forecasts. AvnFPS has two primary user interfaces: 1) TAF monitor and the 2) TAF Editor. The TAF monitor displays results of monitoring your TAF forecasts against observations, various guidance, and critical alert thresholds. The TAF editor is a text editor that is used to write or edit your TAF forecasts.
Airport minimum thresholds and weather impact criteria can be setup in AvnFPS to alert you to conditions that can significantly impact aircraft safety and traffic management.
Numerous training modules and resources are available to help you to prepare and issue your aviation forecasts. The training modules and resources can be found in the Aviation Professional Develop Series (PDS) and in the
NWS Learning Center.
Congratulations. You have reached the end of Lesson 7.