As more general aviation (GA) pilots take to the skies, there is a greater need to educate them about aviation safety.  Gone are the days when pilots would pore over flight training manuals and become friends with the FBO managers at every GA airport.  Today’s pilots prefer immediate access to the information they need, preferably in the form of a comprehensive FBO airport guide and directory with information about every general aviation airport.

As one of the leading sources of information for GA pilots, the FBO airport guide at The Airport Authority provides detailed information in its airport directory, but from time to time we also provide pilots with valuable weather safety information.

Aviation has come a long way since the first flight by the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk, but the weather’s impact on flying has not changed a whole lot since then.  From the perspective of an outsider it’s easy to make judgments about how a pilot should have responded to a weather event, but few have the practical experience to make crucial decisions during a sudden storm.

Rather than dealing with a lack of information about weather, as pilots once did, the very abundance of weather updates makes it difficult for pilots to screen out the non-essential information and focus on the key facts in front of them.

As a general rule, general aviation pilots learn to follow this key decision making framework for pre-flight planning and in-flight weather decision making.  Follow these steps to ensure you are in sync with the FAA guidelines for aviation safety.

—Perceive weather hazards that could adversely affect your flight by obtaining all the information you need for good situational awareness.

—Process this information to determine whether, and how, the hazards create risk to the safety of your flight.

— Perform by acting to mitigate the risk and evaluate the outcome of your action.

When you plan on flying a general aviation aircraft, your might first inform passengers that you are going to see how suitable the weather conditions are for flying.  Using Flight Service and DUATS for weather information, it’s possible to make an informed decision for pre-flight planning.  Another part of your preflight planning should be to check the FBO airport guide and directory at TAA - The Airport Authority.   This is an excellent resource to learn more about the physical features and available services of each GA airport.