AIR FORCE MANUAL 15-125
11 AUGUST 1997
Weather
WEATHER STATION OPERATIONS
Chapter 11
11.1. Weather Briefing Services. AFW units provide flight weather briefing services to pilots.
11.2. Briefing Documentation. The DD Form 175-1, Flight Weather Briefing, is the standard briefing form. The AWDS equivalent to the DD Form 175-1, a MAJCOM-specific form, or a printout of a locally designated computer-generated flight weather briefing containing DD Form 175-1 information, is an acceptable substitute for the DD Form 175-1. MAJCOMs provide completion instructions for MAJCOM forms and may provide more specific instructions for the completion of the DD Form 175-1.
11.2.1. DD Form 175-1 completion instructions are in Attachment 8.
11.2.2. Document verbal briefings (e.g., telephone, closed circuit television, etc.). Note severe/significant weather briefed. MAJCOMs may provide more specific guidance for logging verbal briefings and develop command forms.
11.2.3. Give original DD Form 175-1 to the aircrew and retain a duplicate copy either in files or in the AWDS data base.
11.2.4. If weather is rebriefed, enter the updated information and the time the rebriefing was completed
on the DD Form 175-1 (or local form as appropriate) in green.
11.3. General Briefing Content. Using the DD Form 175-1 as an outline, brief the general synoptic situation, current and forecast weather (including flight hazards) for takeoff, en route, destination, and alternates with special emphasis on severe weather and flight hazards. A reasonable rule of thumb is to brief flight hazards within 25 miles either side of the route and within 5,000 feet of the planned flight level.
11.3.1. Ensure weather data used are the most current. Significant changes in weather discovered after the briefing and/or after the crew has departed, will be passed to the crew via the supervisor of flying, operations center, base operations, air traffic control (tower or radar facility), or other local agency(s).
11.3.2. Present a comprehensive, accurate, and current briefing. Evaluate, interpret, and apply the contents of centrally produced advisories and forecasts to each individual flight weather briefing. Radar, satellite imagery, and AWDS products will be used to enhance briefings when possible. Briefings will be operationally consistent with other station products such as warnings, advisories, and the TAF.
11.3.3. Use the term "thunderstorm," rather than "CB" or "cumulonimbus," in flight weather briefings.
11.3.4. Be familiar with characteristics of each aircraft routinely supported and its weather limitations.
11.3.5. Request aircrews provide PIREPs during takeoff, enroute, and at destination. Provide PMSV
frequencies for all aircrew briefings.
11.4. Flight Publications Requirements. Procedures for pilots to obtain weather briefings at limited
duty stations will be listed in FLIPs. See paragraph 9.6.
Attachment 8
DD FORM 175-1 COMPLETION INSTRUCTIONS
1. General Instructions. Entries in individual blocks are at the discretion of the briefer, based on aircrew requirements and the weather situation. Make all time entries in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Enter all heights in hundreds of feet, surface level as "SFC."
2. Section 1, Mission/Takeoff Data:
a. DATE. Enter UTC departure date.
b. AIRCRAFT TYPE/NO. Enter aircraft type (F4, B52) and radio call sign, mission number, or last three digits of tail number. For additional information, go to "Fixed Wing Designator Page" or "Helo Designator Page" for most military aircraft IDs ancillary aircraft information.
c. DEP PT/ETD. Enter departure airfield call letters and estimated time of takeoff. Enter departure grid point or latitude/longitude for locations that don’t have location identifiers.
d. RUNWAY TEMP AND DEW POINT. Enter in degrees Celsius unless requested in Fahrenheit.
e. TEMP DEV. Enter in degrees Celsius unless requested in Fahrenheit. For USAF flights enter "Temp Dev" as the difference between the forecast temperature for climb and the US Standard Atmosphere temperature. For Navy, enter the difference between forecast runway temperature and US Standard Atmosphere temperature corresponding to field elevation.
f. PRESSURE ALT/DENSITY ALT. Enter in feet, with algebraic sign. USAF usually uses pressure altitude; Army aviators usually use density altitude in mountainous terrain only.
g. SFC WIND. Enter magnetic direction for local briefings; give true direction for remote briefings. In either case, specify "magnetic" or "true" during the briefing, and suffix magnetic entries with an "M."
h. CLIMB WINDS. Enter true direction. Enter a representative wind (or winds) from takeoff to cruise altitude. Brief climb winds in layers if there are significant differences from one stratum to another.
i. LOCAL WEATHER WARNING ADVISORY. Enter weather warning or weather advisories valid for ETD +/-1 hour.
j. RCR. Enter latest reported Runway Conditions Reading (RCR) for departure airfield, if available.
k. REMARKS/TAKEOFF ALTN FCST. Enter remarks on weather that will affect takeoff and climb i.e., inversions, icing, turbulence). Ensure the contents of the briefing and the Terminal Aerodrome Forecast are consistent. If requested, enter a terminal forecast for the takeoff alternate.
3. Section II, En Route Data: Enter data for the entire route. Insert specific briefings for drop zones, ranges, air-refueling areas, or low-level routes at the appropriate point during the en route briefing.
a. FLT LEVEL. Enter planned flight level in hundreds of feet, in three digits (e.g., "280" for 28,000 feet, "080" for 8,000 feet).
b. FLT LEVEL WINDS/TEMP. Enter true wind direction at flight level in tens of degrees, speed to the nearest 5 knots. Enter temperature in degrees Celsius. If there are significant differences, break the forecast into legs (e.g., BLV-MXF 2745/-45); otherwise, brief a representative wind and temperature for the entire route. Identifiers are not necessary (e.g., 3240/-38). If a computer flight plan (CFP) is available, forecasters need to review it for accuracy prior to briefing aircrews. If accurate, enter "See CFP" in this block.
c. CLOUDS AT FLT LEVEL. Check appropriate block. "Yes" implies flight in cloud at least 45 percent of the time; "No" implies that the flight will be in cloud less than 1 percent of the time; and "In and Out" implies that flight will be in cloud between 1 percent and 45 percent of the time.
d. MINIMUM VISIBILITY AT FLT LEVEL OUTSIDE CLOUDS. Enter minimum horizontal visibility enroute outside of clouds. Specify the phenomena that will lower the visibility.
e. MINIMUM CEILING AND LOCATION. Enter minimum ceiling en route in hundreds of feet (AGL) and the geographical location; e.g., "060 ft BLV-MXF." If the minimum ceiling is over hilly or mountainous terrain, or in thunderstorms, so indicate; e.g., "010 ft BOSTON MTS," or "020 ft SW KY TSTMS."
f. MAXIMUM CLOUD TOPS AND LOCATION. Enter maximum tops of cloud layers (exclusive of thunderstorm tops) with more than 4/8 coverage in hundreds of feet mean sea level (MSL), and the geographical location.
g. MINIMUM FREEZING LEVEL AND LOCATION. Enter height of lowest freezing level en route in hundreds of feet MSL, and geographical location. If lowest freezing level is at the surface, enter "SFC" and geographical location.
h. THUNDERSTORMS. Enter applicable Metwatch Advisory/Weather Warning (MWA/WW) number or date/time of product used and check applicable blocks. Enter geographical location and maximum tops of thunderstorms that may affect the flight. Never use the terms "cumulonimbus" or "CB."
i. TURBULENCE. Enter date/time group of the turbulence forecast used (FANH, SIGMET, AIRMET). If forecast is based on SIGMETs or AIRMETs, strike out "CAT" and substitute "SIGMET" or "AIRMET," as appropriate. Check applicable blocks and enter levels and locations of turbulence (not associated with thunderstorms) that may affect the flight.
NOTE: SIGMETs are advisory in nature, like the turbulence charts produced at Air Force Global Weather Central (AFGWC). The forecaster must evaluate the potential and forecast the effects on the aircraft at the time. The forecaster must also alert aircrews to any existing SIGMETs that affect their mission. Annotate in the "Remarks" section if the forecaster disagrees with the SIGMET. Whether or not the condition described is potentially hazardous to a particular flight is for the pilot to evaluate on the basis of own experience and the operational limits of the aircraft being flown.
j. ICING. Check applicable blocks and enter levels and geographical location of icing (not associated with thunderstorms) that may affect the flight.
k. PRECIPITATION. Check applicable blocks and enter geographical location of precipitation areas that may affect the flight.
4. Section III. Terminal Forecasts. Enter a forecast for first stop and alternate, if an alternate is required. Brief the worst conditions expected to prevail during the valid period for both destination and alternate. Because of the complexity of the process, the necessity for and selection of alternates is a pilot decision. However, forecasters need to know basic AFI 11-206 provisions for alternate selection. Enter forecasts for subsequent stops and alternates on request, but advise the pilot that updates are necessary. Brief destination forecasts in terms that the pilot will understand..
a. DEST/ALTN. Line out or circle appropriate designator and enter station identifier. For Army multi-stop missions, enter "A/S" (for "all stops") where the terminal forecast for all stops is similar.
b. CLOUD LAYERS; VISIBILITY/WEATHER. Enter the lowest prevailing condition expected during the valid period. Enter conditions described by an INTER group on the next line. Enter visibility and cloud layers in units that will be used at destination; e.g., visibility in meters for European destinations, statute miles for CONUS; and cloud layers in METAR. For Army "A/S" missions, enter the worst conditions expected along the route and identify the terminal; these entries imply that conditions at all other stops are the same, or better.
c. SURFACE WIND. Enter true direction if the destination is an airfield other than your own; if the flight is a "round robin" that will terminate at your own airfield with no intermediate stops; enter the direction magnetic. In either case, specify "magnetic" or "true" during the briefing and suffix magnetic entries with "M." Use four digits for CONUS stations and five digits for foreign stations. For "A/S" missions, enter the highest wind speed expected (including gusts) and the location.
d. ALTIMETER. Enter the lowest altimeter setting expected during the valid period in all cases except those in which it is impossible to obtain or determine one. For "A/S" missions, enter the lowest value expected en route and the location.
e. VALID TIME. Enter valid time usually as 1 hour either side of ETA. Briefings for Army aviators require a valid time from ETA through 1 hour after ETA. For flights of less than 1 hour, make the first entry the same as ETD. For "A/S" entries, valid times are determined from original ETD to last stop ETA + 1 hour.
5. Section IV, Comments/Remarks.
a. BRIEFED ON LATEST RCR FOR DEST AND ALTN. Check appropriate block.
b. PIREP REQUESTS. If Pilot Reports (PIREPs) are requested for specific areas, enter the areas or pilot-to-metro service (PMSV) frequency.
c. REMARKS. Enter any other significant data; for example:
(1) Data for which there was insufficient space in other blocks.
(2) Comments and remarks on terminal forecasts.
(3) Icing and turbulence on letdown to destination (enter location, type, intensity, and level).
(4) Specialized remarks, such as for low-level mission areas, air refueling, or gunnery/bombing
ranges.
6. Section V, Briefing Record.
a. WEATHER BRIEFED AT. Enter time the briefing was completed.
b. FLIMSY/BRIEFING NO. If a flight weather briefing folder, flimsy, or CFP was prepared for this mission, enter the folder, flimsy, or CFP identification.
c. FORECASTER’S SIGNATURE OR INITIALS. Enter a legible signature or initials.
d. VOID TIME (Army, Navy Only). Army: Add 1:30 to the entry in "Weather Briefed" and enter it in this block. Navy: Void time of the brief will not exceed 1/2 hour past ETD or 2 hours from the time entered under "Weather Briefed" or "Weather Restricted."
e. EXTENDED TO (Army, Navy Only). When an Army or Navy pilot asks for an extension, recheck all weather entries, rebrief, and make required changes in green. Army: Add 1:30 to the new "Weather Briefed" time and enter it in this block. Navy: Enter time of extension of the briefing "void time" as appropriate, indicated above.
f. WEATHER BRIEFED AT (not required for Army, Army equivalent is "extended to" entry). If weather is rebriefed, make changes to original weather entries in green, and enter the time the rebriefing was completed.
g. FORECASTER’S INITIALS. Enter initials of the forecaster providing the extension, rebriefing, or update.
h. NAME OF PERSON RECEIVING BRIEFING. (Remote Briefings only). Enter name and grade.