Building a collaborative relationship between pilots and ATC in using pilot reports (Pireps) to assemble a clearer picture of in-flight weather conditions was the underlying theme of a two-day forum, “Pireps: Pay it Forward... Because Weather for One is Weather for None,” held earlier this week in Washington, D.C. In addition to emphasizing the need for pilots to submit timely and relevant Pireps, the gathering shed light on how ATC uses those reports to provide safer routing.

Panelist John Kosak, an air traffic management specialist with NBAA, emphasized how Pireps assist controllers at the FAA’s Air Traffic Control System Command Center in “confirm[ing] or refut[ing] [forecasted] conditions such as turbulence or icing.” He further noted that Pireps of cloud base and ceiling tops are particularly vital when “a few hundred feet can make the difference” in ATC approach routing.

For those benefits to be fully realized, however, those on both sides of the radio must do their parts. NTSB member Robert Sumwalt, who chaired the forum, recalled breaking out of clouds during one particularly tricky IFR approach and seeing an unexpected large block of ice on the windshield. “I reported it to ATC ... [and] he said, 'Yeah, we've been getting those [icing] reports all morning,’” Sumwalt added. “Why was it not reported to me? A lot of people have been trying for years to get the system to work better.”

A webcast of the seminar will be posted to the NTSB website by early next week.