PIREP Search Guide
Learn how to search pilot reports to find specific conditions, locations, or aircraft.
Overview
The PIREP Search page lets you search through pilot reports from the last 30 days using keywords. Unlike the Severe Turbulence page which only shows high-intensity reports, the search covers all PIREPs including those with light turbulence, icing, weather observations, and more.
This is useful for finding specific types of reports, tracking conditions at particular airports, or discovering interesting pilot observations that might not appear in other views.
How Search Works
Text Matching
The search looks through the raw PIREP text for your search term. This is the complete, unprocessed text as transmitted by the pilot. The search is case-insensitive, so “JFK” and “jfk” will find the same results.
30-Day Window
Search results include PIREPs from the last 30 days. This gives you a broad dataset to search through while keeping results relevant. Data refreshes automatically every 5 minutes.
Sorting and Pagination
Results can be sorted by date (newest or oldest first), severity level, or altitude. Results are paginated with 6 reports per page to keep the interface responsive.
Minimum Characters
You need to enter at least 2 characters before the search runs. This prevents overly broad searches that would return too many results. The search also uses debouncing to wait until you stop typing before executing.
Search Tips
Here are the most useful types of searches you can perform:
Airport Codes
Search for the 3 or 4-letter ICAO code to find reports near specific airports. These appear in the location section of PIREPs.
JFKLAXORDDFWAircraft Types
Search for aircraft type codes to see what specific aircraft have reported. Different aircraft may experience turbulence differently.
B738A320E175CRJ9Turbulence Intensity
Search for intensity codes to find reports of specific severity levels.
SEVMODLGTEXTRMTurbulence Type
Search for turbulence type codes: CHOP (chop), CAT (clear air turbulence), LLWS (low level wind shear), MWAVE (mountain wave).
CHOPCATLLWSMWAVEWeather Conditions
Search for weather abbreviations: TS (thunderstorm), RA (rain), SN (snow), ICE (icing conditions).
TSRASNICESpecial Terms
Search for specific words that might appear in unusual or significant reports. These can reveal interesting incidents.
injurydamageemergencydeviateUnderstanding Results
Search results are displayed using the same card format as the Severe Turbulence page. Each card shows:
- Location map: Static map showing where the report was filed
- Severity badge: Color-coded indicator of turbulence intensity (if applicable)
- Metadata: Aircraft type, altitude, time, and airport
- Explanation: Human-readable summary with expandable raw text
Note on Results
Not all PIREPs contain turbulence information. Many are filed for weather observations, icing, or simply to report smooth conditions. Your search may return PIREPs that match your term but are not related to turbulence.
Example Searches
Try these searches to explore different types of pilot reports:
injuryFind reports mentioning injuries - these are rare but can reveal significant turbulence events.
Expected: Reports where someone was injured during turbulence.
SEV CATFind severe clear air turbulence reports - CAT is turbulence not associated with clouds.
Expected: PIREPs reporting severe clear air turbulence encounters.
B738Find all reports from Boeing 737-800 aircraft, one of the most common commercial jets.
Expected: All PIREPs filed by 737-800 aircraft in the last 30 days.
FL350Find reports at flight level 350 (35,000 feet), a common cruise altitude.
Expected: PIREPs from aircraft at or mentioning FL350.
DENFind reports near Denver International Airport, known for mountain wave turbulence.
Expected: PIREPs filed in the Denver area, often showing mountain effects.
Creative Searches
The raw PIREP text can contain free-form remarks from pilots. Try searching for words like “smooth”, “bumpy”, “ride”, “avoided”, or other descriptive terms. You might find interesting observations that do not fit into the standard coded fields.