Straight out of the latest AIM edition:
7-1-2. FAA Weather Services
b.
The primary source of preflight weather briefings is an individual briefing obtained from a briefer at the FSS. These briefings, which are tailored to your specific flight, are available 24 hours a day through the use of the toll free number (1-800-WX BRIEF). Numbers for these services can be found in the Airport/Facility Directory (A/FD) under "FAA and NWS Telephone Numbers" section. They may also be listed in the U.S. Government section of your local telephone directory under Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration.
h. In addition, pilots and operators should be aware there are weather services and products available from government organizations beyond the scope of the AWTT process mentioned earlier in this section. For example, governmental agencies such as the
NWS, the Aviation Weather Center (AWC), and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) display weather “model data” and “experimental” products which require training and/or expertise to properly interpret and use. These products are developmental prototypes that are subject to ongoing research and can change without notice. Therefore, some data on display by government organizations, or government data on display by independent organizations
may be unsuitable for flight planning purposes. Operators and pilots contemplating using such services should request and/or review an appropriate description of services and provider disclosure. This should include, but is not limited to, the type of weather product (e.g., current weather or forecast weather), the currency of the product (i.e., product issue and valid times), and the relevance of the product.
Pilots and operators should be cautious when using unfamiliar weather products.
NOTE- When in doubt, consult with a FAA Flight Service Station Specialist.
i. 1. Primary Weather Product. An aviation weather product that meets all the regulatory requirements and safety needs for use in making flight related, aviation weather decisions.
i. 2. Supplementary Weather Product. An aviation weather product that may be used for enhanced situational awareness. If utilized, a supplementary weather product must only be used in conjunction with one or more primary weather product. In addition, the FAA may further restrict the use of supplementary aviation weather products through limitations described in the product label.
The FAA also produced a weather decision making guide which also states that the primary source of weather is via FSS (1-800-WX BRIEF):
http://www.faa.gov/pilots/safety/media/ga_weather_decision_making.pdf
It makes mention of using the Weather Channel and Internet sources as a general weather understanding an practical flight planning use. However, the document ultimately leads you to contact FSS for an official briefing
after you analyze the weather information from sources like ADDS or NWS.
Too many pilots out there believe that the weather information that they get off of their mobile devices or desktop qualify as obtaining an official weather briefing from a primary weather source. This is simply not the case.
I will say that the weather information from NSW and ADDS are official government weather and can be used for planning purposes. But it absolutely does not substitute for receipt of an official weather briefing. If you fly without a briefing from FSS or obtained a weather briefing from DUAT/DUATS, you didn't get an official weather briefing.
So long story short, if you're going in to a practical exam, bring the official primary weather products with you. After you pass your check ride, you can go ahead and follow the sheep with thinking iPad weather is just as good or keep up the proper way of obtaining your weather through FSS, DUAT, or DUATS.
Note: If you use
www.aviationweather.gov or adds.aviationweather.gov and login with a QICP username/password, anything you do with that site will be recorded and count as obtaining official weather. However, be caution. An official weather briefing includes a large number of areas and you will need to cover all these areas in order for your session to count as having obtained an official weather report. This means you will be doing a lot of clicking around to get at all the information. Still, you should make note of this disclaimer at the bottom of their site:
This Qualified Internet Communication Provider's (QICP) servers and communication interfaces are approved by the FAA as secure, reliable, and accessible in accordance with AC 00-62.
1) This QICP does not ensure the quality and currency of the information transmitted to you.
2) The user assumes the entire risk related to the information and its use.
You have to ask yourself if it isn't just easier to get an official weather briefing from FSS, DUAT, or DUATS in the first place.
