Where to get aviation weather

In Canada, NAV CANADA provides aviation weather (MET 1.1.2). There are three ways to get it:

• CFPS (Collaborative Flight Planning Service): NAV CANADA's online self-serve web site. Get weather products and NOTAM, and file flight plans yourself (MET 1.1.3).
• FIC (Flight Information Centre): a staffed flight service specialist. Call 1-866-WXBRIEF, or reach one by radio on a FISE frequency en route, for a briefing, flight-plan filing, and interpretation of the weather. FICs run 24 h (MET 1.3.1).
• ATIS (Automatic Terminal Information Service): a continuous recorded broadcast at a busy aerodrome carrying the latest METAR/SPECI (except RVR) (MET 1.1.5).

The individual products (GFA, TAF, METAR, PIREP, SIGMET/AIRMET) have their own lessons; this one is only about where the weather comes from.

Trap: crediting the public Environment Canada forecast instead of NAV CANADA for aviation weather, or expecting a briefing from ATIS (a recording) or CFPS (self-serve) rather than the staffed FIC.

Practice