FAA Flight Instructor Airplane (FIA)Weather and Weather ServicesMedium
A flight instructor tells a student that the FAA has replaced the text-based Area Forecast (FA) for the contiguous United States with a web-based product depicting forecast ceiling, visibility, wind, icing, and turbulence on interactive maps. What product is being described?
- AGraphical Forecast for Aviation (GFA)
- BConvective Outlook (AC)
- CCenter Weather Advisory (CWA)
- DTerminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF)
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Graphical Forecast for Aviation (GFA)
The Graphical Forecast for Aviation (GFA) is a web-based tool that replaced the textual Area Forecast (FA) for the contiguous U.S., providing an interactive, graphical depiction of expected flying conditions such as ceiling/visibility, clouds, icing, turbulence, and winds.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. The Convective Outlook is a separate product describing severe thunderstorm potential, not the FA replacement.
- C. CWAs are short-term unscheduled advisories issued by CWSUs, not the FA replacement.
- D. TAFs are point forecasts for specific airports, not the broad area forecast replacement.
Graphical Forecast for Aviation (GFA)
The GFA is a web-based, continuously updated graphical tool that replaced the textual Area Forecast for the CONUS, showing forecast weather hazards such as clouds, ceiling/visibility, icing, turbulence, and wind.
- Replaced the text Area Forecast (FA) for CONUS
- Interactive maps viewable at aviationweather.gov
- Depicts ceiling/visibility, clouds, icing, turbulence, and winds
Memory trick: GFA: Graphics For Aviators replaced the words