Good afternoon, all.
A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), titled "Flexibility Enhancements of Weather Reporting Systems," was published in the Federal Register dated May 22, 2026. The comment period for this NPRM ends this coming Monday, June 22, 2026. So, if you feel strongly about the proposed changes, you'll need to provide your feedback very quickly. A link to this NPRM is at the bottom of this message.
On the surface, the proposed rule rule changes appear primarily administrative, bringing relevant FARs up to date with current practices and processes. Perhaps more importantly, however, these changes are likely to help pave the way for the use of approved, non-traditional sources of weather information, a capability that will clearly be critical to the operation of emerging aircraft types in the lower atmosphere.
Kudos to FPAW Steering Committee (SC) member Gordy Rother for honchoing this effort, and thank you to former FPAW SC member Rex Alexander for bringing it to our attention.
Matt Fronzak and Nathan Polderman
FPAW Co-Chairs