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Acronymese
Is the LOA (A.K.A. Language of Aviation)
Worse yet, do you find yourself talking with fellow flyers and telling about the crazy day you had with ATC at MOD and getting the ATIS. You used an AWOS and also a TRACON for your ILS down to DH. The FAA submitted NPRM that meant you should tell you're A&P the new AD may be needed before the next TBO.

We pilots live and work in field that is inundated with acronyms. The advent of the computer required that all the historical names of airway intersections turned conventional spellings into five letter acronyms many of which are inevitable tongue twisters. Learning to read without vowels has come to include the ability to speak entire sentences using just letters. The weather has thousands of these that can substantially reduce speaking or typing time. Wouldn't you rather say CAVU instead of "ceiling and visibility unlimited?"

Some acronyms have become words over time because their meanings are universally understood in aviation. We say ATP when we mean airline pilot. We ask the A & P about the TBO coming up. Many of the acronyms used in our flying life are so specific to aviation that they aren't readily understood without explanation. Usually the very first question asked by a new flyer is the meaning of some acronym.
I have had occasion to be present when two unacquainted technicians in the computer technology industry met for the first time. It took just a few moments for them to test each other out through the use of acronyms before they agreed they both spoke the 'language' and could converse as equals. As pilots we often do the same when the conversation turns to flying. Pilots who delve deeper into the internet, electronics, weather, navigation and bureaucracy soon find that aviation becomes a melting pot of fields, each with their own dialect of acronymese.
I have included on my website many of the acronyms from METAR and TAF weather sources. I have never seen a purely aviation listing. I do know of lists with all the airway intersections, airports, and VORs.

METAR
--Letter K is U.S. ICAO country code that precedes location identifier.
--Metar began in late '60 and used worldwide and by military.
--METAR means Aviation Routine Weather Report
--TAF means Terminal Aerodrome Forecast.
--METAR is a Surface Report that lists surface winds, visibility in statute miles, weather and sky cover.
--BR means that visibility will exceed 5/8 mile
--FG means visiblity below 5/8 mile.

Time group starts with day followed by actual observation time in UTC. A METAR can be either routine or SPECI(AL. METARs exclude trend forecasts. COR is used for making a correction in a report.

Hourly METARs lists
Winds

Wind is five digits. Wind direction relative to true north is first three digits. Next is wind speed in knots. 100kt+ winds have three digits. VRB will indicate variable headings or velocity. Calm is 0000KT. METAR winds are all 'true' except when a ASOS or AWOS voice report. TAF winds are 'true'. Even Center winds are 'true'.

Visibility
--Runway visual range (RVR)
--Present weather
--Sky condition

Ceilings will not be stated as such. METAR Ceilings are based upon whether the layer of clouds are given as broken or overcast. Clear (CLR) exists only with ASOS and AWOS and even then only up to l2,000'. Pilot must infer from first layer of broken or overcast.

Temperature
All temperatures are given in Celsius.
--Dew point
Temp and dew point are reported in Celsius degrees using two digits. M is prefix for below zero numbers.
-- Altimeter setting (pressure)
Altimeter setting prefixed with A given in inches of mercury.
REMARKS.
Remarks begins with RMK divided into automated section and human section.

AUTO is by Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) or Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS). ASOS are NWS operated often with state financing. AWOS is airport facility required by FAA. ASOS and AWOS reports visibility at one point. If automated visibility is below 1/4 mile the letter M precedes the visibility

ASOS/AWOS
993 placed 464 commissioned. CCR's has been there for a year but cannot be certified as accurate.
Ceiling-sky condition-visibility-temperature-altimeter-wind (true)-density.
ASOS also can give type of prepcipitation, and variable conditions
Report can be very deceptive because of being limited over time and averages.

Qualifiers:
Qualifiers state intensity or describe weather
Qualifiers description
- light MI shallow
BL blowing
VC vicinity 5-10 miles PR partial
SH showers
BC patches
no-sign moderate TS thunderstorm
DR low drifting
+ heavy FZ freezing

Phenomena classified as precipitation, obscuration or other. Precipitation described in order of dominance. Obscuration only if below seven miles.

Phenomena
Precipitation Obscuration
DZ drizzle BR Mist 5/8 visibility
IC ice crystals DU dust
UP precipitation unknown FG fog low visibility
RA Rain SA sand
IP ice pellets FU smoke
SN snow HZ haze
GR hail VA volcanic ash
GS Small hail/snow PY spray
VV obscured
Other
PO Dust devils
DS dust storm
SQ squalls
FC funnel cloud
+FC tornado
SS Sand storm

Sky condition is gives as cloud layers according to height. Sky-cover codes are clear, few, scattered, broken or overcast. Maximum of six layers. AWOS only three layers. No thin or partial reported in METAR

Sky cover
VV vertical visibility 8/8
SKC or CLR clear 0
FEW few 0 to 2/8
SCT scattered 3/8 to 4/8
BKN broken 5/8 to 7/8
OVC overcast 8/8

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