Chapter 4: Flight Weather Briefing Form, DD Form 175-1

CHAPTER FOUR

Flight Weather Briefing Form, DD Form 175-1

400.

INTRODUCTION

In general, military aviators are required to submit an appropriate flight plan to the local air

traffic control facility for all flights by using the DD 175 Military Flight Plan. The only

exceptions allowed are use of the daily flight schedule, FAA Flight Plan, or an international

flight plan. Since most training flights will use the daily flight plan, you may not learn about the

DD 175 in detail until the instrument flight rules course. However, this flight plan will be the

typeother than the daily flight scheduleused most often for military flights. Thus, it provides a

realistic background for the introduction of its counterpart, the DD 175-1, the Flight Weather

Briefing Form.

When embarking on flights outside the local area, you will most likely be required to file a DD

175. Flights of this nature also require an increased amount of preflight planning, as these flights

tend to be unique, one-time events. While this provides aviators with a great deal of latitude in

the selection of routes, it also increases the requirements for ensuring the plan includes sufficient

alternative courses of action. Naturally, one of the major areas that require planning for

alternatives is the weather.

This last chapter introduces a simple flight plan for which you will need a weather brief. For

most situations, the local meteorology office will provide this briefing, but there may be

situations when the pilot may need to fill out the DD 175-1, such as when overseas, or when

conducting a telephone briefing. In all situations, though, the aircrew will need to take an active

part in the process of determining the weather. In marginal weather conditions, aircrew will

check the weather before planning, before submitting the planned flight, before takeoff, and

during the flight.

The aircrew should review the weather and build an overall picture prior to the formal weather

brief by a meteorologist. In this manner, aircrew will have more time to consider how the

weather conditions may affect their flight, and they will be better prepared to ask questions of the

briefer, enabling a two-way conversation to occur. While meteorologists are certainly the most

knowledgeable source for weather information, the aircrew is the most knowledgeable about

their mission. The briefer can best prepare the aircrew for their flight only when aviators ask

questions during the briefing about areas they would like further information or explanation.

401.

LESSON TOPIC LEARNING OBJECTIVES

TERMINAL OBJECTIVE: Partially supported by this lesson topic:

4.0 Describe indicated data on the DD 175-1, "Flight Weather Briefing Form," and state the

sources of hazardous weather information used to complete the form.

FLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING FORM, DD FORM 175-1 4-1