Is AIRMET Being Phased Out?
It’s a bit more complicated than a simple yes or no.
Effective on or about January 27 at 1900Z, the legacy AIRMET over the six regions of the conterminous U.S. will finally be retired. [FLYING file photo]
Question: Is AIRMET being phased out?
Answer: It has been nearly two decades since the FAA/National Weather Service (NWS) began a formal effort to move away from what was officially called the Traditional Alphanumeric Code (TAC) AIRMET or more simply, the “legacy” AIRMET.
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Graphical AIRMETs (G-AIRMETs) were introduced in 2008 as the replacement for the legacy AIRMET. It wasn’t until March 16, 2010, the G-AIRMET became the operational product for pilots and essentially replaced the existing legacy AIRMET. Even so, the legacy AIRMET overstayed its welcome for the next 14 years.
Based on the FAA’s working group recommendation and the Safety Risk Management Panel (SRMP) results, the agency has formally requested the NWS retire the legacy AIRMET and produce only the G-AIRMET for the conterminous U.S. However, the legacy AIRMETs for Alaska and Hawaii will not be affected at this time.
Consequently, effective on or about January 27 at 1900Z, the legacy AIRMET over the six regions of the conterminous U.S. will finally be retired. This means that the G-AIRMET will remain as the official advisory and eliminate the outdated alphanumeric product for good.
This column first appeared in the December Issue 953 of the FLYING print edition.
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