RAE42SNB42

Why does the FAA persist in using a coded system for printed weather
reports and forecasts?

They act like kilobytes are expensive to transmit today... The last time I
saw a teletype machine was in 1974.

And the codes aren't even consistent, M for minus degrees in a METAR and -
for minus degrees in a PIREP. Am I wrong in thinking this old system is
confusing and therefore unsafe?

--
Dallas

On Fri, 06 Jul 2007 23:01:09 GMT, Dallas
wrote:


Why does the FAA persist in using a coded system for printed weather
reports and forecasts?

Your subject line is an easy one, and I get plain English DUATS
briefings. G

FWIW, there's cheapie whiz wheels and cheat sheets available for
checking the less common abbreviations.

"Dallas" wrote:

Why does the FAA persist in using a coded system for printed weather
reports and forecasts?

You're asking for a rational explanation for something the FAA does?

You might as well ask why Donald Duck doesn't wear pants.

--
Dan

"Don't make me nervous when I'm carryin' a baseball bat."
- Big Joe Turner

Dallas wrote:
Why does the FAA persist in using a coded system for printed weather
reports and forecasts?

Snow forecast in July in the U.S.?

Or did I decode that wrong?

;-)

Dallas wrote:

Why does the FAA persist in using a coded system for printed weather
reports and forecasts?

They act like kilobytes are expensive to transmit today... The last time I
saw a teletype machine was in 1974.

And the codes aren't even consistent, M for minus degrees in a METAR and -
for minus degrees in a PIREP. Am I wrong in thinking this old system is
confusing and therefore unsafe?

Because it's an international standard and all the stuff is in place
to handle it.

Use DUAT or DUATS if you want plain English.

--
Jim Pennino

Remove .spam.sux to reply.

On 7/6/2007 7:53:45 PM, Jim Logajan wrote:

Snow forecast in July in the U.S.?

Or did I decode that wrong?

Yes, you did decode that wrong. That is not from a forecast.

--
Peter

On 7/6/2007 7:01:12 PM, Dallas wrote:

Am I wrong in thinking this old system is
confusing and therefore unsafe?

In my experience the more you use it, the easier it is to read. In DUATs I
choose the option to decode the briefing into plain English but I only read
the English version for the area forecast and NOTAMs. I actually find it much
faster to read the METARs and TAFs in their coded format.


--
Peter

One more time...it is ICAO that dictates these things, not the FAA. The FAA
just conforms to ICAO standards.

Bob Gardner

"Dallas" wrote in message
.. .

Why does the FAA persist in using a coded system for printed weather
reports and forecasts?

They act like kilobytes are expensive to transmit today... The last time
I
saw a teletype machine was in 1974.

And the codes aren't even consistent, M for minus degrees in a METAR and -
for minus degrees in a PIREP. Am I wrong in thinking this old system is
confusing and therefore unsafe?

--
Dallas

Looks like "rain ended at 42, snow began at 42." What is the problem?

Bob Gardner

"Dallas" wrote in message
.. .

Why does the FAA persist in using a coded system for printed weather
reports and forecasts?

They act like kilobytes are expensive to transmit today... The last time
I
saw a teletype machine was in 1974.

And the codes aren't even consistent, M for minus degrees in a METAR and -
for minus degrees in a PIREP. Am I wrong in thinking this old system is
confusing and therefore unsafe?

--
Dallas

wrote:

Use DUAT or DUATS if you want plain English.


DUAT does pretty good on the METARs but sometimes
it gets confused at odd contractions used in the
are forcast.

My favorites were always "Harrisburg, PA Turbulance"
(Harrisburg's identifier is MDT) and the decoding
of VSBYS as "Variable Snow Blowing Spray and Snow."