The FAA sent out Information to Operators (InFO) bulletin 14011 yesterday to apprise aircraft operators and pilots of the new electronic Pirep submission tool at the National Weather Service’s (NWS) Aviation Weather Center digital data service website. At this site, registered users can electronically submit turbulence and icing Pireps, which will then be instantly displayed in graphical form and distributed nationwide.

“When reported, these [in-flight] observations assist other pilots, dispatchers and flight planners with flight plan preparation, situational awareness and operational control decisions,” the FAA said. In addition, these Pireps are integrated into the NWS weather forecast production process to help improve accuracy.

The FAA said there is often a lack of Pireps submitted that report better-than-forecast weather, such as encountering smooth air in an area where the forecast calls for turbulence. “A Pirep reporting good weather is just as important to the forecast process as a Pirep reporting poor weather conditions,” the agency noted.

Operators interested in registering to submit Pireps electronically should email their location, primary point of contact and telephone number to ncep.awcweb@noaa.gov. The FAA will issue an account login after verifying this information.