NOUS41 KWBC 221323

PNSWSH

Technical Implementation Notice 11-49

National Weather Service Headquarters Washington DC

820 AM EST TUES NOV 22 2011

TO: National Weather Service Offices (NWS)
 Federal Aviation Administration Customers (FAA)
  Family of Service Subscribers (FOS)
 Other Customers of NWS Aviation Forecasts
 
FROM: Cyndie Abelman
 Chief, Aviation Services Branch
 
SUBJECT: Addition of Outlook Sections to the San Francisco/ 
 Santa Barbara to Honolulu Route Forecasts (ROFOR) 
 Effective December 28, 2011
 
Effective December 28th 2011 the NWS office in Honolulu will
add a wind component outlook section to the San Francisco/Santa
Barbara to Honolulu Route Forecasts (RFRKSF). This change will
be effective with the RFRKSF issued at 1900 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). 
 
WFO Honolulu issues a route forecast (ROFOR) from San Francisco/Santa
Barbara to Honolulu twice a day, at 0700 UTC and 1900 UTC. 
In addition to forecasts of winds, temperatures, and weather for 
zone segments along the routes, the ROFOR also includes a cumulative
wind factor component section. The wind factor component section is
a cumulative headwind/tailwind calculation based on forecast winds and
the flight track along the route. 
 
Pilots need certain wind factor components to complete flights to or
from California, and will wait for favorable conditions. By adding 
an outlook forecast, pilots will be able to plan for changes in wind
conditions expected over the next several days. Also, they will be 
able to get an idea of how the forecast is trending by tracking any 
changes in the wind component outlooks between successive forecasts.
 
An example of the new outlook section is available at:
 
 http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/pages/aviation/rofor_format.php
 
This change will affect the format of the following existing product:
 
AWIPS Identifier WMO Heading Geographic Descriptor
RFRKSF FRPN31 PHFO San Francisco to Honolulu
  Santa Barbara to Honolulu
 

National Weather Service Instruction 10-811 (Enroute Forecasts and Advisories) will be updated to include the outlook section during the next routine directive review cycle.

If you have any questions, please contact:

John H. Bravender, Aviation Program Manager

National Weather Service

2525 Correa Road, Suite 250

Honolulu, HI 96822

Phone: 808-973-5282

Email: w-hfo.aviation@noaa.gov

This and other Technical Implementation Notices are available online at:

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/notif.htm

$$