US TAFs now include a date digit

[KSYR-pjr]

For those here who occasionally look up TAFs (terminal area forecasts - aviation forecasts), the TAFs now include a date digit before the time.  This is done to accommodate some airports' move to 30 hour forecasts.

Here's a PDF cheatsheet:  http://download.aopa.org/epilot/2008/081105taf.pdf

and here's an example with the new date/time highlighted in red:

KHPN 061735Z 0618/0718 04010KT 6SM -RADZ BR OVC015
     TEMPO 0618/0622 3SM -RADZ BR OVC008
     FM062300 03010KT 3SM -DZ BR OVC008
     FM070400 02010KT 2SM -DZ BR OVC004
     FM071000 01004KT 1SM -DZ BR OVC002
     FM071500 01007KT 6SM BR SCT004 OVC010

[djmwx2]

To add to this, all TAF's in the U.S. issued by the NWS are now 30 hr forecasts to conform to the worldwide TAF format.

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/notification/scn08-55_30hr_taf_test_sep.txt

[cessna157]

The new TAFs are not nearly as confusing as the new flight plans.  I still don't understand what half of the stuff on my flight plan is telling me about my own flight.

[tyketto]

The new TAFs are not nearly as confusing as the new flight plans.  I still don't understand what half of the stuff on my flight plan is telling me about my own flight.

Could you give an example? I'm interested to see what they may have added that is causing your confusion..

BL.

[KSYR-pjr]

Here's an article from AOPA about the change to the new flight plan forms for those operations that qualify (for most of GA, the new forms are not required):

http://www.aopa.org/flightplanning/articles/2008/080619icao.html

Here's the FAA flight plan (US):



and here's the ICAO flight plan form that C157's operations must be required to now fill out.  Note the much expanded section:

[cessna157]

Well the good Peter has beaten me to my own punch, but he basically summed it up. 

U.S. airlines are now required to file the ICAO flight plans for all operations, domestic and international.  These are very complex and have an incredible amount of information, as seen in the form.  Obviously we (the pilots) don't file our flight plans, that is done by our certificated dispatchers using a special flight planning software.  But our required paperwork that we receive for every flight has our filed flight plan.  Below is an example of what one of our plans would look like:

FPL-COM693-IS
CRJ9/L-SGDW/S
KDFW1200
N0457F410 NOBLY2.LIT J131 PENBE DCT PXV.SARGO1
KCVG0137 KLEX
EET/KZME0045 KZID0102
REG/N582CA SEL/NIL
E/0345 P/TBN R/V S/ J/ D/O C
A/WHITE


They have given us information as to what all of those funky codes mean.  There's only 4 or 5 things on there that I really care about though.  I liked the old style simple FAA flight plans.  When I fly for fun and have to file a flight plan, I can just do it all from memory.  I'd never be able to memorize the ICAO flight plan

[NWA ARJ]

To add to this, all TAF's in the U.S. issued by the NWS are now 30 hr forecasts to conform to the worldwide TAF format.

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/notification/scn08-55_30hr_taf_test_sep.txt

Not all of the TAF's will be 30 hour forecasts. TAF's valid for 30 hours are only at high impact airports. The rest of the TAF's will still be valid for 24 hours. The 32 high impact airports are listed below.

Airports for 30 Hour TAF

1.   KATL   The William B. Hartsfield Atlanta International
2.   KBDL   Bradley International
3.   KBOS   General Edward Lawrence Logan International
4.   KBWI   Baltimore-Washington International
5.   KCLE   Cleveland Hopkins International
6.   KCVG   Covington/Cincinnati
7.   KDEN   Denver International
8.   KDFW   Dallas/Fort Worth International
9.   KDTW   Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County
10.   KEWR   Newark Liberty International
11.   KIAD   Washington Dulles International
12.   KIAH   Houston – George Bush Intercontinental
13.   KIND   Indianapolis International
14.   KJFK   John F. Kennedy International
15.   KLAX   Los Angeles International
16.   KMKE   General Mitchell International
17.   KMSP   Minneapolis-St Paul International/Wold-Chamberlain
18.   KOAK   Metropolitan Oakland International
19.   KONT   Ontario International
20.   KORD   Chicago-O’Hare International
21.   KPHL   Philadelphia International
22.   KPIT   Pittsburgh International
23.   KSAN   San Diego Int’l – Lindbergh Field
24.   KSDF   Louisville, Int’l Standiford Field
25.   KSEA   Seattle-Tacoma International
26.   KSFO   San Francisco International
27.   KSLC   Salt Lake City International
28.   KSTL   Lambert-St Lewis International
29.   KSWF   Stewart International
30.   PANC   Ted Stevens Anchorage International
31.   PHNL   Honolulu
32.   PAFA   Fairbanks

http://aviationweather.gov/notice/taf30.php

[djmodifyd]

The new TAFs are not nearly as confusing as the new flight plans.  I still don't understand what half of the stuff on my flight plan is telling me about my own flight.

I am SO glad to hear pilots feel the same way.

that ICAO system is SO confusing.
I had a CL30 call me after his flight plan dropped out...and i was going to just enter a FP for him into the system.

lets just say it took like 4 of us 10 minutes to get it.

its SO confusing.  the old simple equipment suffix is gone

they used to be say a type CRJ9/Q....now they are a CRJ9/WSRQLHOSJ  (ok...i just typed in letters...but there are seriously 10 letters or more for the equipment suffix)

so for those pilots who ask for us to put in a flight plan...dont be surprised if we say no....mainly because it can send us right down the tubes lol.  It depends on how busy i am if i will put in a FP for you...if im very slow sure...but give me a few planes and no way...thats what our wonderful FSS is for.