New TAF format?

[bgaviator]

Anyone else notice the new TAF format starting tonight with the date included? I find it extremely annoying....it makes it more difficult to quickly see the time frame in my opinion. What's with everything changing to new intl standards? First it was the ATC strip format, now this TAF stuff.

 

[skier17]

The US is trying to get in line with ICAO. Flight plans switched over to ICAO format a few months ago.

 

[DX747]

I noticed it, as with everything else a change you have to get use to. Ask ya in 6 months and it will be NO news. YADA YADA YADA

 

[WalterSobchak]

...because, as we know, the NWS does such a spectacular job at forecasting 24 hours ahead they should do well with 30 hours out.

It's only 32 "high impact" U.S. airports right now...should be a non-issue after day one tomorrow.

 

[propsarebest]

They Are Awesome! Much More Accurate!

 

[Pull To Guns]

You will rue the day that the U.S, changes completely into the international format the rest of the world uses.

The U.S. TAFs are easy to read because for the most part they are in a left justified bullet type format with a FM starting each line, easy to scan.

However a lot of the foreign TAFs are like giant run-on sentences using BECMG's instead of FM's and these BECMG's are in the middle of the body of text making it hard to read fast. There are also a lot of PROBS and even PROB30 TEMPOS----whatever that means.

Typical U.S. example:

KORD 061457Z 0615/0718 17015G25KT P6SM SCT045 BKN080
FM061600 16018G28KT 6SM -SHRA SCT040 OVC070 /
TEMPO 0617/0621 3SM -TSRA BKN035CB OVC070 /
FM062300 22015G25KT P6SM SCT050/
FM071400 24015G25KT P6SM BKN030 OVC050

A foreign one:
VOCI 061500Z 061818 00000KT 3000 HZ SCT015 /BKN250 BEC 0203/
07005KT 4000 HZ BEC
0506 27010KT 5000 HZ BEC 1415 00000KT 3000 HZ TEMPO 1818 FEW025CB TEMPO 0003 1500 BR


See what I mean? You better hope the NWS hangs on to the current format

 

[propsarebest]

I also like the 24 hour tempos that some middle eastern places, ESPECIALLY KWI, list. They will issue a 24 hour taf that is SEVERE clear, then put in a 24 hour tempo for 600M vis and OVC200...

 

[Pull To Guns]

P'r'B, you are correctomundo. I'll see if I can get some good examples.

Have you seen the Greek-Turkish FIR NOTAM skirmish basically calling each other's NOTAMS B.S.? It's hilarious! I'll see if I can post that one, it's a classic!!

 

[IXLR8]

I don't like it....

 

[homerjdispatch]

I don't like it....

Boo Hoo get over it. God, people whine about the stupidest things!

its not that hard to figure out. Just use the brain you have in that little head of yours!

 

[propsarebest]

The fact is that we (the US) are the odd guys out. 99.9% of the rest of the world is on ICAO standard, but we are VERY slow to adapt it.

 

[IXLR8]

Boo Hoo get over it. God, people whine about the stupidest things!

its not that hard to figure out. Just use the brain you have in that little head of yours!

Never said I couldnt figure it out, just that I do not like the new format....It's called an opinion. Talk about a whiner, Sheez!!!!

 

[Pull To Guns]

I think it's kewl, it takes some mental arithmetic out of the scan for me--especially with the longer flights.

 

[propsarebest]

same here. We have many flights that we can't even dispatch off the current TAF because they are so long. We usually have to use a 24 hour one which was issued 6 hours ago and looks NOTHING like the most recent one...

 

[N271FE]

I really miss the FC's now.

 

[dispatchguy]

They suck - like someone else said, its not like the 24 hr ones are that valuable or accurate to begin with anyway...