Definition
An unmanned, automated station that measures local weather conditions — such as wind, temperature, dew point, altimeter setting, and visibility — and broadcasts or transmits the data without human observation or intervention.
Plain English
A weather station that runs by itself. It takes the readings, packages them up, and sends them out — no person involved.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA abbreviation lists, NOTAMs, airport information, and weather-related notes about what kind of weather reporting is available at an airport.
Derivation
From 'automatic,' meaning self-acting, combined with the idea of a weather observation. The shortened form 'AUTOB' signals to pilots that the report came from a machine, not a trained observer — which matters because automated stations have known limits in what they can detect.
Why Pilots Care
Gives pilots immediate access to weather data at unattended airports for safe preflight and enroute decisions.
Intuition Check
AUTOB does not mean a weather forecast. It means an automated system is reporting current local weather observations.
Example Sentence 1
The remote field only had an AUTOB site, so the pilot cross-checked the wind and altimeter against a nearby staffed station before departure.
Example Sentence 2
AUTOB reports helped the pilot confirm that conditions remained suitable for the return flight.