Weather conditions like low cloud, wind, fog, rain, freezing temperatures and lightning can all impact on aviation operations in different ways.
As part of their training, all pilots are taught how to read and interpret weather forecasts. More experienced pilots can further their training by gaining the right training and permissions to fly in all sorts of weather and scenarios.
They follow procedures and checklists to ensure everyone is safe. At some airports, air traffic controllers direct pilots to use certain runways and provide weather information.
Runway choice
Weather, particularly wind speed and direction, is generally the major factor to determine which:
- runways to use at an airport
- direction aircraft will take off and land
- flight paths pilots can use.
Aircraft must land and take off into the wind or with minimal tail wind. How much wind there is, and wind forecast, will impact what runway a pilot uses at any time.
For airports that have an air traffic control service, controllers closely monitor wind speed and direction. They also make adjustments to runways used by pilots. Some aerodromes have an automatic weather service that pilots can access to help inform their awareness of local weather conditions. However, the pilot-in-command makes the ultimate decision on where or if to land the aircraft as they are responsible for the safety of the aircraft.
Find out more about cross winds and wind shear on the Airservices website.
Thunderstorms and lightning
Thunderstorms and lighting can produce winds called updrafts and downdrafts. Downdrafts can lead to turbulence and make it uncomfortable to fly. They can also reduce how much a pilot, air traffic controller, or both can see.
During severe thunderstorms, aircraft cannot take off and land. If an aircraft is heading to the affected area, pilots working with controllers will either divert around active cells or land at an alternative airport.
Thunder and lightning near or at an airport may also stop operations until they pass. This is to keep airport staff working outside on the aerodrome safe.
This may lead to delays for passengers.
Fog and low visibility
Fog and low visibility can affect how an airport works and where pilots can fly.
Modern, commercial airlines and large airports have equipment installed to help planes take off and land in fog. Whether aircraft can land during fog depends on the type of equipment on the aircraft and at the airport. Pilots and air traffic controllers will work together to divert the aircraft to another airport if they are unable to land safely.
A pilot flying for an airline is trained to use their instruments to navigate. This helps them know the height and direction they are flying even when they cannot see. Using this equipment, along with other technology on the aircraft and information from air traffic controllers, helps pilots fly safely.
Pilots flying privately (such as for recreation or fun) may not have the appropriate training to fly using instruments. These pilots instead fly 'visual flight rules' which means they need to be able to see where they are flying and navigate with their eyes.
They monitor weather closely and may cancel a flight or change where or how high they fly if the weather is poor. Pilots must turn around or fly in another direction if conditions deteriorate. Our pilot safety hub contains a lot of useful resources on weather, forecasting and pre-flight planning to help pilots stay safe.
Flight planning
It is the pilot's responsibility to check and monitor the weather before and during the flight. In Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology provides aviation weather information.
Commercial airlines may have an operations centre which supports the pilot in getting weather forecasts. Additionally, at a major airport with air traffic control services, an air traffic controller will also pass along key weather information.