Clear Air Turbulence PIREPs

AIM ¶ 7-1-23 — Clear Air Turbulence PIREPs

AIM 7-1-23 explains how pilots should report Clear Air Turbulence (CAT) via PIREPs — time, location, and intensity for jet ops above 15,000 feet.

In Plain English

Clear Air Turbulence (CAT) is turbulence that occurs without visible cloud cues, making it especially hazardous for jet traffic operating above 15,000 feet. Because CAT can't be detected easily by onboard weather radar, the aviation system relies heavily on pilot reports (PIREPs) to track where and how severe it is.

AIM 7-1-23 urgently requests that any pilot encountering CAT report it to the FAA facility they're working with. Your report should include:

Time of the encounter
Location (position)
Intensity — light, moderate, severe, or extreme

When workload allows, format the report using standard PIREP elements (see AIM 7-1-21). This helps ATC issue advisories, helps dispatchers reroute traffic, and gives following aircraft a chance to request altitude or course changes before hitting the same bumps. Even a quick verbal report on frequency is valuable — controllers can relay it to other aircraft and to flight service.

This is recommended practice, not a regulatory requirement, but it's a critical part of the safety reporting system every pilot is expected to support.

AIM Source Text

FAA AIM ¶ 7-1-23

7-1-23. 7-1-23. Clear Air Turbulence (CAT) PIREPs CAT has become a very serious operational factor to flight operations at all levels and especially to jet traffic flying in excess of 15,000 feet. The best available information on this phenomenon must come from pilots via the PIREP reporting procedures. All pilots encountering CAT conditions are urgently requested to report time, location, and intensity (light, moderate, severe, or extreme) of the element to the FAA facility with which they are maintaining radio contact. If time and conditions permit, elements should be reported according to the standards for other PIREPs and position reports. REFERENCE- AIM, Para 7-1-21 , PIREPs Relating to Turbulence.

Oral Exam Questions a DPE Might Ask

Q1What information should a pilot include when reporting Clear Air Turbulence?

Per AIM 7-1-23, pilots encountering CAT should report the time, location, and intensity (light, moderate, severe, or extreme) to the FAA facility they're in radio contact with. If time and conditions permit, the report should follow standard PIREP format.

Q2Why are CAT PIREPs especially important for high-altitude jet operations?

Per AIM 7-1-23, CAT is a serious operational factor for flight at all levels and especially for jet traffic above 15,000 feet. Because there are no visual cloud cues, the best available information on CAT comes from pilots via PIREP reporting procedures.

Q3Is reporting Clear Air Turbulence required, and to whom is the report made?

Per AIM 7-1-23, pilots are urgently requested — not regulatorily required — to report CAT encounters to the FAA facility with which they are maintaining radio contact. The AIM is informational, but PIREPs are a vital safety practice.

Related Paragraphs in AIM Chapter 7

¶ 7-1-1

NWS Aviation Weather Program

¶ 7-1-10

Weather Observing Programs

¶ 7-1-11

Weather Radar Services

¶ 7-1-12

ATC Weather Avoidance

¶ 7-1-13

Runway Visual Range

¶ 7-1-14