Who controls?
Meteorology and aviation are fields impacting all countries, and where phenomena and aircraft cross State boundaries. Activities in these domains require an international collaboration and harmonized practices. The United Nations organization is made for that. Each UN State member has representatives in UN agencies to provide inputs and agencies issue recommendations and standards that can be implemented in the State members local regulations.
In the US, FAA is the US agency for aviation matters and NOAA the agency for weather matters. They work with their counterparts in the corresponding UN agencies: ICAO and WMO.
This collaboration is similar to the collaboration between ICAO and ITU, another UN agency, in the domain of radio spectrum use, radio transmission standards and navaids.
Aeronautical reports and forecasts
Aeronautical reports and forecasts are defined jointly by two agencies of the United Nations:
The two key documents for weather codes are:
The last one is likely the one you need to decode some cryptic weather message quickly.
Other WMO relevant documents, also available online, relate codes and practices to the general meteorological field, e.g. different manuals on codes, like WMO Manual on Codes, Alphanumeric Codes (human readable form, sort of) and Manual on Codes, Binary Codes (data storage and exchange).
ICAO ensures meteorological services standardized by WMO are adequate for aviation. Related formats include forecasts:
- $\small \sf WAFS/SIGWX$: Global forecasts of significant weather,
- $\small \sf TAF$: Aerodrome forecast,
- $\small \sf GAMET$: General aviation forecast,
and reports:
- $\small \sf METAR$: Aerodrome routine meteorological report,
- $\small \sf SPECI$: Aerodrome special meteorological report,
- $\small \sf VOLMET$: Meteorological information for aircraft in flight,
- $\small \sf SIGMET$, $\small \sf AIRMET$: Specified en-route weather phenomena.
Aircraft-based observations: PIREP, AIREP, AMDAR
Originaly a PIREP (pilot report) is an informal radio report from a pilot to ATC. Methods and codes are mostly defined by the national aviation agency, FAA for the US. See the FAA PIREP form. Some information is provided in WMO Guide to Aircraft-based Observations.
However with the advent of automated sensors in aircraft, formatted and automated reports are defined as AIREP (special air report) and AMDAR (aircraft meteorological data relay) messages, transmitted using ACARS or ASDAR. Both reports are described in ICAO Doc 8896, Manual of Aeronautical Meteorological Practice and WMO Guide to Aircraft-based Observations, both already mentioned.
NOTAM
NOTAM (notice to air missions) is a different kind of information. an important part of the aeronautical documentation, describing information which cannot be permanent, and thus cannot be included in the regular State aeronautical information publication (e.g. US AIP). They are standardized by ICAO in Annex 15, Aeronautical Information Services
Technical details are found in Doc 10066, Aeronautical Information Management (PANS-AIM) and Doc 8126, Aeronautical Information Services Manual.
