Plain English Meaning

Help from air traffic controllers to steer clear of bad weather. They can tell you what they see on radar and suggest a way around it, but the final call about how to avoid the weather is still the pilot's.

Full Definition

A service in which air traffic control (ATC) helps pilots avoid hazardous weather by providing radar-observed precipitation information, suggesting headings or routes around weather, and coordinating deviations from the flight plan. The service is provided on a workload-permitting basis and does not relieve the pilot of the responsibility for weather avoidance decisions.

Context Anchor

Seen in instrument flying when a is using air traffic control services and needs help avoiding , storms, or other unsafe weather along the .