What is the primary purpose of an AIRMET?

The primary purpose of an AIRMET (Airmen’s Meteorological Information) is to advise pilots about significant weather phenomena that may affect the safety of flight, especially in general aviation. AIRMETs are issued for weather conditions such as turbulence, icing, and other significant weather that are expected to occur over a wide area, particularly at lower altitudes where general aviation operations primarily take place.

By focusing on conditions that could impact smaller aircraft, AIRMETs serve as a critical resource for pilots, allowing them to make informed decisions during their flights. This information helps enhance situational awareness and promotes safety in less equipped aircraft that may not be able to handle severe weather as well as larger commercial aircraft can.

While warnings of severe weather are crucial for all aircraft, those more severe conditions are typically covered by SIGMETs, which focus on more hazardous weather impacts, such as thunderstorms and volcanic ash. Therefore, while both AIRMETs and SIGMETs contribute to flight safety, AIRMETs target the broader spectrum of weather conditions important to general aviation specifically.