BY ORDER OF THE AIR FORCE HANDBOOK 11-203, …

1 BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE AIR FORCE HANDBOOK 11-203, VOLUME 2)/ARMY TRAINING CIRCULAR 13 AUGUST 2015 Incorporating Change 2, 11 APRIL 2017 Flying Operations WEATHER FOR AIRCREWS PRODUCTS AND SERVICES COMPLIANCE WITH THIS PUBLICATION IS MANDATORY ACCESSIBILITY: Publications and forms are available on the e-Publishing website at for downloading and ordering. RELEASABILITY: There are no releasability restrictions on this publication. OPR: HQ USAF/A3WP Supersedes: AFH11-203V2, 16 May 2002/Army FM 1-230, 30 September 1982 Certified by: HQ USAF/A3W (Mr. Ralph O. Stoffler) Pages: 76 This HANDBOOK familiarizes the aircrew member with weather services, charts, and codes.

2 It serves as a text and informational guidance for flight training programs, all Air FORCE instrument refresher training, flight instruction programs, and various unit and individual flying training programs. It applies to all Army and Air FORCE (AF) units and personnel, including the Air FORCE Reserve Command (AFRC), and Air National Guard (ANG). This regulation also applies to the Active Army, the Army National Guard/Army National Guard of the United States, and the Army Reserve, unless otherwise stated. The information contained in this publication meets or exceeds the information contained in FM 1-230, dated 30 September 1982 which will be rescinded with the publication of this interservice publication.

3 Support described may also be applied to aviation within the Army and its reserve components of the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard. It is issued to each instructor and student involved in undergraduate flight training programs as well as to each flying unit. This HANDBOOK , when used with related flight directives and publications, provides weather guidance for visual and instrument flight under most circumstances. It is not a substitute for sound judgment. Refer recommended changes and questions about this publication to the Office of Primary Responsibility (OPR) using AF Form 847, Recommendation for Change of Publication; route AF Form 847 from the field through the appropriate functional office in your chain of command.

4 Ensure that all records created as a result of processes prescribed in this publication are maintained according to Air FORCE Manual (AFMAN) 33-363, Management of Records, and 2 AFH11-203V2/ARMY TC 13 AUGUST 2015 disposed of according to the AF Records Disposition Schedule in the Air FORCE Records Information Management System. SUMMARY OF CHANGES Interim Change 2 updates the Army Training Circular number and revises Table , Aircraft Turbulence Category. The following aircraft were identified as being incorrectly categorized as CAT III aircraft: C-130H, C-130J, and KC-135. Table has been edited to categorize the aircraft from CAT III to CAT II.

5 Chapter 1 AIR FORCE WEATHER OPERATIONS, SUPPORT AND SERVICES 7 Introduction.. 7 Strategic and Global.. 7 Regional.. 8 Local.. 8 OWS-WF-Aircrew Interface.. 9 WF-Aircrew Interaction.. 9 Table Prioritized List of Authorized Weather Sources.. 10 Table Minimum Information Required for Weather Briefing.. 11 Civil Aviation Weather Services.. 11 Chapter 2 WEATHER PRODUCTS 14 Section 2A GRAPHIC CHARTS 14 Overview.. 14 Accessing Air FORCE Graphic Products.. 14 Table OWS Website Addresses.. 14 Standard Weather Symbols .. 14 Figure Line Types and Colors for Commonly Used Isopleths on Air FORCE Standard Graphics.. 15 Figure Standard Shading and Color Fill for Bounded Areas of Weather.

6 16 Figure Symbols for Meteorologically Significant Features.. 18 Figure Sample Wind Plots.. 19 Figure Complete Station Model.. 19 AFH11-203V2/ARMY TC 13 AUGUST 2015 3 Figure Basic Weather Symbols.. 20 Figure Sky Condition Symbols.. 20 Standard Air FORCE Weather Graphics.. 20 Figure Flight Level Wind Product (FL300 Winds with Aeronautical Chart Background) (AFW-WEBS).. 22 Table Aircraft Turbulence Category.. 22 Table Aircraft Turbulence Intensity Conversion Chart.. 27 Figure Standard Regional-Scale Low-Level Mechanical/CAT Forecast Product, Surface to FL180 Layer (25 OWS).. 28 Figure Standard High-Level Turbulence Product (17 OWS).. 29 Figure High-Resolution CAT Forecast Product (25 OWS).

7 30 Figure AIRMET Summary Overlaid with a RADAR Mosaic (AFW-WEBS).. 31 Figure Icing Forecast Product (28 OWS).. 32 Figure Icing Forecast Product Overlaid with a Meteorological Satellite Image and a Surface Chart (AFW-WEBS).. 33 Figure Forecast for Any Intensity of Icing, Light or Greater, over the Korean Peninsula Overlaid on an Aeronautical Chart Background (AFW-WEBS).. 33 Figure Icing Forecast for FL240 (+/- 5,000ft) on AFW-WEBS using Color Fills Overlaid on Meteorological Satellite Image.. 34 Table Thunderstorm Forecast Coverage.. 35 Figure Rapidly Moving Area of Thunderstorms Depicted on an Air FORCE Standard Thunderstorm Forecast Product.. 36 Figure Standard Thunderstorm Forecast Product (21 OWS).

8 36 Figure Thunderstorm Forecast with Lightning Strike Data (AFW-WEBS).. 37 Figure SOUTHCOM Area High-Resolution Extended Period Thunderstorm Forecast (Color-fill Method of Depiction).. 37 Figure Weather RADAR Mosaic Showing Precipitation Type (15 OWS).. 39 Figure Weather RADAR Mosaic (AFW-WEBS).. 40 Figure Lightning Summary Product (AFW-WEBS).. 41 Figure Lightning Display Product (AFW-WEBS).. 41 Figure Ceiling and Visibility Forecast (17 OWS).. 43 4 AFH11-203V2/ARMY TC 13 AUGUST 2015 Figure Standard Surface Features and Weather Forecast (CONUS).. 44 Section 2B TEXT PRODUCTS 44 Aviation Routine Weather Report (METAR) Code.. 44 Figure METAR Observation Code.

9 45 Figure METAR Observation Code specifying Station Identifier.. 45 Table Regional Identifier Prefix.. 46 Figure METAR Observation specifying an Automated Observation with Human Augmentation.. 47 Figure METAR Observation Specifying Winds.. 47 Figure METAR Observation Specifying Visibility.. 47 Figure METAR Observation specifying Sky Condition.. 48 Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF).. 48 Figure Example TAF specifying Forecast Date and Valid Time.. 48 Figure TAF Change Group Examples.. 49 Figure TAF Wind Examples.. 50 Figure Volcanic Ash Remark.. 50 Pilot Reports (PIREPs).. 50 Figure PIREP Indicators.. 51 Table Elements for Issuance of Urgent PIREPs (UUA).

10 51 Figure PIREP Example.. 51 Significant Meteorological Information (SIGMET).. 51 Table Non-Convective SIGMET Hazards.. 52 Figure Non-Convective SIGMET Example.. 52 Convective SIGMET.. 52 Table Convective SIGMET Hazards.. 52 Figure Convective SIGMET Example.. 53 Airmen s Meteorological Information (AIRMET).. 53 Table AIRMET Designators.. 53 Figure AIRMET Example.. 53 AFH11-203V2/ARMY TC 13 AUGUST 2015 5 Section 2C METEOROLOGICAL SATELLITE (METSAT) IMAGERY 54 METSAT.. 54 Imagery Types.. 54 Figure Visible Imagery, Sunset near Hawaii Showing Terminator (Day-Night Line).. 55 Figure IR Imagery Is Not Visible Light Dependent (No Terminator Seen) and Low (Warmer) Clouds Are Not as Bright as Visual Imagery.