Ok - what gives?

[EdFred]

So I pull up the ZAU Area Forecast on ADDS, and do a search of the text for "zulu" looking for the airmet for icing....
No mention of the airmet whatsoever....
But it does show here:

http://adds.aviationweather.gov/airmets/java/

Why not put it in the text version, or am I missing it?

 

[EdFred]

Bueller? Bueller?

 

[SkyHog]

I don't understand the question.

 

[EdFred]

I don't understand the question.

When I pull the text for the Area Forecast there is no mention of an airmet for icing at all. When I pull up the java graphic, it shows there.

My *guess* (concern) would be that if I call Lock-Mart for a briefing to go fly today, they would not know/inform me about the airmet for icing. So why is the airmet not listed on the text version, but shown in the graphic version?

 

[azure]

It IS in the text version, just not in the Area Forecast. If you select icing airmets for Chicago on the Airmets/Sigmets page, you'll get the Airmets Zulu.

I don't know why it's not in the Area Forecast. Then again, I only ever remember seeing mentions of Airmet Sierra in the FA. But I haven't explicitly looked for Zulu airmets there.

 

[EdFred]

It IS in the text version, just not in the Area Forecast. If you select icing airmets for Chicago on the Airmets/Sigmets page, you'll get the Airmets Zulu.

I don't know why it's not in the Area Forecast. Then again, I only ever remember seeing mentions of Airmet Sierra in the FA. But I haven't explicitly looked for Zulu airmets there.

I have seen sierra, tango, and zulu in the area forecast in the past. Then again, I wasn't looking at the stuff for 16 months (around the time they changed the TAF format) so maybe it got cycled out of the FAs and I didn't pick up on it, because I wasn't paying attention to the little things during my hiatus.

 

[EdFred]

Man, I swear I used to see it in the Area Forecast. (started training in 2002)

Thanks for the info Scott.

 

[EdFred]

No problem. What folks see is the mention of AIRMET Sierra in the FA like the following FA snipit...

BOSC FA 100045
SYNOPSIS AND VFR CLDS/WX
SYNOPSIS VALID UNTIL 101900
CLDS/WX VALID UNTIL 101300...OTLK VALID 101300-101900
ME NH VT MA RI CT NY LO NJ PA OH LE WV MD DC DE VA AND CSTL WTRS
.
SEE AIRMET SIERRA FOR IFR CONDS AND MTN OBSCN.
TS IMPLY SEV OR GTR TURB SEV ICE LLWS AND IFR CONDS.
NON MSL HGTS DENOTED BY AGL OR CIG.
.

That usually triggers them to believe that Zulu and Tango are part of the FA as well. These products are great...but remember to think out of the box and understand their limitations. Many of the workshops I build are focused on the limitations. Pilots tend to abuse the forecasts and use them outside of their intended limitations. Pilots really abuse TAFs that way...they use them as if they are an area forecast. They are only valid 5SM from the airport.

And in Michigan you learn that the TAF isn't necessarily within 5nm of the airport it says it's for.