Under what conditions will winds be included in a General Flight Advisory?

Winds will be included in a General Flight Advisory when they are forecasted to be 20 knots or greater. This threshold is established to ensure that pilots are adequately informed about significant wind conditions that could impact flight safety and performance. Wind speeds at this level can lead to turbulence, challenging handling characteristics, and increased fuel consumption, necessitating pilot awareness and preparation. Monitoring winds from this threshold is critical for flight planning, especially for approaches, departures, and crosswind operations.

Having a lower threshold, like 10 or 15 knots, might not reflect a significant operational impact for most flight operations, and including them in advisories would potentially overwhelm pilots with information that may not be relevant in many scenarios. The focus is on alerting pilots to substantial weather conditions that warrant special attention, which is exactly what the 20-knot threshold accomplishes.