The Met Office provides four training courses for ATS staff, all carefully structured to make sure participants gain maximum benefit from the time allotted. All courses are fully recognised by the CAA, are run to the highest professional standards and are available in the UK or abroad.

Aeronautical met. observers from other national met. services can also benefit from our comprehensive training.

Who is it for?
This course is designed for staff based at meteorological stations and airports who are required to undertake aeronautical observations for aviation.

What is the aim of the course?
To enable Air Traffic Services (ATS) and national met. service observers to make accurate aviation weather reports. This is an assessed course and uses the guidelines as described in WMO-No.258. Trainees successfully completing the course are awarded an aeronautical Met. Observing certificate for the production of aerodrome weather reports that meet the requirements of ICAO Annex 3.

What will students learn?
The course will build skills and knowledge that enable the student to:

• observe, report and encode the weather elements required for METAR reports and local ATS reports;
• disseminate fully coded and accurate reports within agreed timescales;
• understand the process and criteria for issuing 'special' weather;
• demonstrate the ability to make observations at night;
• have a basic understanding of the meteorological hazards for aviation.

What does the course cover?
The acquisition of the necessary skills is achieved through a combination of theory and practical training. The course is divided into two parts. Week one concentrates on theoretical observing knowledge and coding practice. Week two involves working alongside an experienced professional observer, providing intensive practical training.

What is the course duration?
The ten-day Aeronautical Met. Observers Course consists of two modules. The Theory training is a five-day residential course at the Met Office College, which is followed by a five-day Practical training module at the Met Office Observing station at Belfast International airport or at Exeter.

If appropriate facilities are available, this course could also be adapted and provided, by Met Office College trainers, at your organisation.

Designed for staff of ATS units using a fully integrated semi-automatic observing system, this variable length course develops the skills necessary to observe, report and encode the 'visual' elements of the METAR to a standard that meets CAA requirements. Successful trainees will leave with a 'restricted' certification for use solely at similarly equipped sites.

On completion, participants should be able to:

• observe, report and encode the 'visual' elements required for METAR reports and local ATS reports
• demonstrate a good knowledge of the other elements making up METAR reports and local ATS reports
• disseminate fully coded and accurate reports within agreed timescales
• understand the process and criteria for issuing 'special' weather reports;
• demonstrate the ability to make observations at night.

Training is conducted either at the Met Office College, Exeter or on-site at airports.

A two-day course designed for qualified ATS observers who need to update or refresh their observing skills.

Features:

• Revision of the procedures used to estimate the subjective elements of the METAR.
• Update of the latest coding procedures used in the production of the METAR.
• Enables ATS Observers to maintain compliance with CAA CAP 746 standards.
• Revision of meteorological hazards.
  

Training takes place at the Met Office College, Exeter or on-site at airports.

Features:

• Assessments take place on-site at the ATS unit by a fully qualified Met Office Observer NVQ Assessor.
• CAA approved assessment based on the nationally recognized VQSET NVQ observing competence standards.

On completion:

• Detailed assessment report detailing compliance and recommendations as appropriate.

Download the Met Observer Competency Assessment Programme datasheet (PDF, 478 kb)