1. A User’s Perspective on Airborne Observations
Bruce Landsberg
Senior Safety Advisor
AOPA Air Safety Institute

2. Weather Accidents
Turbines are doing nicely Technology is better But …

3. Wx Acc. Trend – Mostly Flat
VFR into IMC
63 in ‘2003
50 in ‘2012
80% Fatal

4. 2012 – 50 Wx Accidents Total
VFR into IMC = 46%

5. How Many Came Close???

6. AIRMETs!!

7. “VFR Not Recommended” Just take the Bus !!
Not now Not tomorrow Not next week
Just take the Bus !!

8. Crying Wolf ? Is it Really IMC? … Over the entire forecast area
… Over the entire time … Really????
Forecasts amended timely ?????

9. Failure to WARN

10. IMC in the Sunny South

11. Only two PIREPs, but …

12. METARs = Confirm

13. Lotta ice: 020-FL180???

14. Well, maybe not so much …

15. Ice – SFC to 140 ?

16. Not so much, but …

17. Y’all be Careful …
Orographic lifting Moisture aloft Temperature fluctuations

18. Datalink
Great for some things But not all…
Pix of datalink Wx.

19. Move GA into the 1990s Where is this Going?
Observations – Ground & Aloft
Training – Pilots & Forecasters
It’s about GOOD forecasts
It’s about timely updates/changes
It’s about verification
Move GA into the 1990s

20. PIREPS … “FAA should put a much higher priority on acquiring PIREPs …”
NATCA
Need a pilot cockpit shot w/ headset….

21. New World – Old World

22. Icing & IMC …
Tops?
Bases?
Is there really ice?
What’s the Viz?

23. Hundreds of PIREPs needed!
Downlink via ADS-B - using EFB?
Eliminate the middle-person
Near Real Time
Null reports vital …

24. Cut the Chit-Chat Direct to the system – All Users
Pilots, ATC, AWC, AFSS
VFR aircraft can play
Freqs uncluttered
Real time

25. Waiting for Airborne Obs …

26. Good Info = Good Decisions
Important for forecasters
Critical for pilots
Confirm or Deny
Failure to Warn greatly reduced
Improve Utility
Save Lives.

27. A User’s Perspective on Airborne Observations
Thank You!