8/15/19 AIM  e. The AWRP review and decision − making process applies criteria to weather products at various stages . The stages are composed of the following: operators should be cautious when using unfamiliar weather products. When in doubt, consult with a FAA Flight Service Station Specialist. f. Pilots and operators should be aware that weather services provided by entities other than FAA, NWS, or their contractors may not meet FAA/NWS quality control standards. Hence, operators and pilots contemplating using such services should request and/or review an appropriate description of services and provider disclosure. This should include, but is not limited to, the type of weather product (for example, current weather or forecast weather), the currency of the product (that is, product issue and valid times), and the relevance of the product. Pilots and operators should be cautious when using unfamiliar products, or products not supported by FAA/NWS technical specifications. When in doubt, consult with a FAA Flight Service Station Specialist. g. In addition, pilots and operators should be aware there are weather services and products available from government organizations beyond the scope of the AWRP process mentioned earlier in this section. For example, governmental agencies such as the NWS and the Aviation Weather Center (AWC), or research organizations such as the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) display weather “model data” and “experimental” products which require training and/or expertise to properly interpret and use. These products are developmental proto- types that are subject to ongoing research and can change without notice. Therefore, some data on display by government organizations, or government data on display by independent organizations may be unsuitable for flight planning purposes. Operators and pilots contemplating using such services should request and/or review an appropriate description of services and provider disclosure. This should include, but is not limited to, the type of weather product (for example, current weather or forecast weather), the currency of the product (i.e., product issue and valid times), and the relevance of the product. Pilots and k. Not all sources of aviation weather information are able to provide all three types of weather 3. Forecasts . Predictions of the development and/or movement of weather phenomena based on meteorological observations and various mathemati- cal models. 2. Analysis . Enhanced depiction and/or inter- pretation of observed weather data. 1. Observations . Raw weather data collected by some type of sensor suite including surface and airborne observations, radar, lightning, satellite imagery, and profilers. j. The FAA has identified three distinct types of weather information available to pilots and operators. i. The development of new weather products, coupled with the termination of some legacy textual and graphical products may create confusion between regulatory requirements and the new products. All flight − related, aviation weather decisions must be based on all available pertinent weather products. As every flight is unique and the weather conditions for that flight vary hour by hour, day to day, multiple weather products may be necessary to meet aviation weather regulatory requirements. Many new weather products now have a Precautionary Use Statement that details the proper use or application of the specific product. h. With increased access to weather products via the public Internet, the aviation community has access to an over whelming amount of weather information and data that support self-briefing. FAA AC 00-45 (current edition) describes the weather products distributed by the NWS. Pilots and operators using the public Internet to access weather from a third party vendor should request and/or review an appropriate description of services and provider disclosure. This should include, but is not limited to, the type of weather product (for example, current weather or forecast weather), the currency of the product (i.e., product issue and valid times), and the relevance of the product. Pilots and operators should be cautious when using unfamiliar weather products and when in doubt, consult with a Flight Service Specialist. 1. Sponsorship of user needs. 2. R & D and controlled testing. 3. Experimental application. 4. Operational application. NOTE − NOTE − Meteorology 7 − 1 − 4