Pilots may be obtain weather products from several sources.
This variety of sources provides pilots the ability to obtain and update their weather information via internet, phone, and radio before and during the flight.
Internet
With the internet, a briefing of weather and aeronautical information can be obtained through the direct user access terminal, or DUATS. DUATS is available for use by any pilot holding a current medical certificate at www.duats.com or www.duat.com.
Aviation weather products are directly available on the internet at www.aviationweather.gov, which should not be confused with aviationweather.com. Aviationweather.gov provides official and trustworthy weather products.
Phone
Over the phone, weather information can be obtained by calling a flight service station at the toll free number 1-800-WX-BRIEF. The flight service specialist will provide you a briefing of weather and aeronautical information pertinent to your flight.
Another service of the flight service station, called the transcribed information briefing service, or TIBS, is also available by calling 1-800-WX-BRIEF. TIBS is a recording, prepared by a specialist at the flight service station, which allows pilots to quickly check for pertinent weather and aeronautical information prior to obtaining a weather briefing.
Radio
By radio, a weather briefing may be obtained from the flight service station specialist as well, by using the flight service station’s airborne frequencies. Another source of en route weather, available from the flight service station by radio, is the en route flight advisory service, referred to as “Flight Watch”.
Flight watch can be reached by radio anywhere in the continental United States and Puerto Rico between the hours of 6 AM and 10 PM, when flying five thousand feet or more above the ground. The pilot radios “Flight Watch” on a frequency of 122.0 MHz, and is connected to the flight service specialist, who provides current weather information and advisories pertinent to the flight.
The hazardous in-flight weather advisory service, or HIWAS, is made available to pilots through the voice feature of certain navigational aids. HIWAS is a recorded radio broadcast, which provides a summary of hazardous weather advisories.
The voice feature of navigational aids is also used to provide the transcribed weather broadcast, or TWEB. TWEB is a recorded radio broadcast, which contains weather information pertinent to a specific route.