Narrative:

Aviation WX reports contain many abbreviations. To someone who constantly reads WX reports these abbreviations are not a problem. For most pilots who do not regularly read WX reports the meaning of many abbreviations is not known. In many cases, not knowing exactly what an abbreviation means detracts from that pilot's knowledge of what is contained in the WX report. This could have disastrous results for a pilot that misinterprets or does not know what a particular abbreviation means and flys into unexpected WX. Yrs ago when teletypes were extremely slow, use of abbreviations was justified. Today, with computers rapid printing and the growing proliferation of home computers that receive WX from FAA sources, it is time to say what is meant and do away with the archaic method of using abbreviations whose meaning is unknown to most GA pilots. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Callback initiated to determine if any specific incident initiated the report. The reporter, a chief flying instrument, indicated that he had difficulty interpreting sequence reports, terminal forecasts and area forecasts because he only occasionally was required to do so. When the analyst pointed out that growing data base size and transmission complexities in the 'information age' tended to exacerbate rather than relieve the problem, the reporter remained steadfast in his conviction and attitude. The suggestion, that he as a flight instrument, might make a useful and informative excercise of the complaint, by making a master list of abbreviations and encouraging students to supply the full word, and to carry their resultant list for report interpretation was not well received. The reporter was not disposed to attempt any self examination, nor to develop any workable solution.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NO SPECIFIC ANOMALY NARRATIVE BY REPORTER COMPLAINING OF ABBREVIATIONS USED IN WX REPORTS.

Narrative: AVIATION WX RPTS CONTAIN MANY ABBREVIATIONS. TO SOMEONE WHO CONSTANTLY READS WX RPTS THESE ABBREVIATIONS ARE NOT A PROB. FOR MOST PLTS WHO DO NOT REGULARLY READ WX RPTS THE MEANING OF MANY ABBREVIATIONS IS NOT KNOWN. IN MANY CASES, NOT KNOWING EXACTLY WHAT AN ABBREVIATION MEANS DETRACTS FROM THAT PLT'S KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT IS CONTAINED IN THE WX RPT. THIS COULD HAVE DISASTROUS RESULTS FOR A PLT THAT MISINTERPRETS OR DOES NOT KNOW WHAT A PARTICULAR ABBREVIATION MEANS AND FLYS INTO UNEXPECTED WX. YRS AGO WHEN TELETYPES WERE EXTREMELY SLOW, USE OF ABBREVIATIONS WAS JUSTIFIED. TODAY, WITH COMPUTERS RAPID PRINTING AND THE GROWING PROLIFERATION OF HOME COMPUTERS THAT RECEIVE WX FROM FAA SOURCES, IT IS TIME TO SAY WHAT IS MEANT AND DO AWAY WITH THE ARCHAIC METHOD OF USING ABBREVIATIONS WHOSE MEANING IS UNKNOWN TO MOST GA PLTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. CALLBACK INITIATED TO DETERMINE IF ANY SPECIFIC INCIDENT INITIATED THE RPT. THE RPTR, A CHIEF FLYING INSTR, INDICATED THAT HE HAD DIFFICULTY INTERPRETING SEQUENCE RPTS, TERMINAL FORECASTS AND AREA FORECASTS BECAUSE HE ONLY OCCASIONALLY WAS REQUIRED TO DO SO. WHEN THE ANALYST POINTED OUT THAT GROWING DATA BASE SIZE AND XMISSION COMPLEXITIES IN THE 'INFO AGE' TENDED TO EXACERBATE RATHER THAN RELIEVE THE PROB, THE RPTR REMAINED STEADFAST IN HIS CONVICTION AND ATTITUDE. THE SUGGESTION, THAT HE AS A FLT INSTR, MIGHT MAKE A USEFUL AND INFORMATIVE EXCERCISE OF THE COMPLAINT, BY MAKING A MASTER LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ENCOURAGING STUDENTS TO SUPPLY THE FULL WORD, AND TO CARRY THEIR RESULTANT LIST FOR RPT INTERPRETATION WAS NOT WELL RECEIVED. THE RPTR WAS NOT DISPOSED TO ATTEMPT ANY SELF EXAMINATION, NOR TO DEVELOP ANY WORKABLE SOLUTION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.