"Coming August 15, 2006 - the Aviation Weather Center will standardize the text format of AIRMET products issued for the continental U.S. Please see the Technical Implementation Notice and examples for further information."  (Note the new date)

"The Front is a newsletter published by the National Weather Service (NWS). The mission of The Front is to enhance aviation safety by increasing the pilot's knowledge of weather systems and processes, and NWS products and services." The June issue discusses Model Output Statistics (an important tool used to develop Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts) and microburst recognition. 

• "Thunderstorms and Flying" internet weather course materials.
• Winter Weather and Flying Internet course.

Meteorologist and Military Weather Specialist Positions

• National Weather Service (NWS): NWS meteorologists provide forecasts from the Aviation Weather Center, Center Weather Service Units at FAA facilities, and the local Weather Forecast Offices.

  Requirements for a National Weather Service or other Government Meteorologist (1340 Series).
  Degree in meteorology, atmospheric science, or other natural science major that included at least:

  • 24 semester (36 quarter) hours of credit in meteorology/atmospheric science including a minimum of 6 semester hours of atmospheric dynamics and thermodynamics, 6 semester hours of analysis and prediction of weather systems (synoptic/mesoscale), 3 semester hours of physical meteorology, 2 semester hours of remote sensing of the atmosphere and/or instrumentation.
  • 6 semester hours of physics, with at least one course that includes laboratory sessions.
  • 3 semester hours of ordinary differential equations.
  • 9 semester hours of course work appropriate for a physical science major in any combination of three or more of the following: physical hydrology, statistics, chemistry, physical oceanography, physical climatology, radiative transfer, aeronomy, advanced thermodynamics, advanced electricity and magnetism, light and optics, computer science.

• Military (US Air Force, Marines, and Navy): The military provides opportunities for both enlisted weather specialists and officer meteorologists or aerographers. Officers will enter the service with a Bachelor's degree while enlisted personnel selected as weather specialists will undergo training at Keesler AFB Mississippi (in all branches of service) prior to assignment to a military weather facility. Some branches of the military will take college graduates who are not meteorologists and initially assign them to a school that will provide education equivalent to a B.S. in meteorology.

  Requirements for a Military Meteorologists and Weather Specialists

  • Requirements for Military Officers are similar to those of government meteorologists.
  • Enlisted weather specialists will require a high school diploma and demonstrate an aptitude for the weather career field in military entrance exams.

• Private Companies: Provides aviation weather forecasts for companies, the military, or government, and also provides weather observing services at some stations. Some airlines hire their own weather forecasters while others contract with private meteorology companies.

  Typical Private Meteorology Eduation and Experience Requirements for Weather Forecasters

  • A Bachelors of Science degree in Meteorology or the completion of military forecaster’s school.
  • General skills in working with Windows and PCs. Typing skills are often identified. Unix workstation knowledge is a plus.
  • Good oral communication skills
  • Some practical experience in aviation forecasting is usually preferred.

  Typical Private Meteorology Eduation and Experience Requirements for Weather Observers

  • Usually have completed a Department of Defense (DoD) training program for weather or an equivalent National Weather Service (NWS) program
  • Some experience with a DoD, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), or NWS agency taking, recording, encoding, and disseminating surface weather observations using METAR code is desired.
  • Experience with observing and communications equipment is also desired.

Non-Meteorologist Aviation Positions Requiring Specialized Weather Knowledge

• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Air Traffic Control Specialists: "An air traffic control specialist (ATCS) is often described as one who provides for the safe, orderly, and expeditious flow of air traffic ." Flight Service Station Controllers, in particular, receive training in the interpretation and use of weather information for pre-flight and in-flight support to aviation. Flight Service Station personnel provide weather briefing services for pilots in addition to handling flight planning. Visit the FAA web site to learn about this career and the job prerequisites.
• Airline Dispatchers: "Airline Dispatchers are airman certified by the FAA. Along with the pilot in the aircraft, the dispatcher is responsible for the safe operation of the aircraft." Dispatchers gather and interpret weather information provided to the crew and use that information for scheduling aircraft. Airline dispatchers are frequently an airlines primary source of weather information for aircrews. The Airline Dispatchers Federation home page has more information about this career.