DISPATCHER RPTR REGARDING THE DISSEMINATION OF AIRMET INFO TO TRANSPORT CATEGORY ACFT. 21 AIRMETS RECEIVED IN 1 DAY.

Narrative

ON MAR/XX/97; THERE WERE 9 AIRMETS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA OF THE UNITED STATES IN WHICH MY FLTS WERE OPERATING. THESE AIRMETS ARE NOT PART OF OUR CURRENT WX PACKAGE GIVEN TO THE FLCS. WE HAVE TO MANUALLY CONVEY THESE RPTS VIA ACARS; OR SEPARATE MESSAGE TO BE ATTACHED TO THE FLT RELEASE. DUE TO THE NUMEROUS AIRMETS AND NUMBER OF FLTS; I WAS UNABLE TO ADVISE ALL OF MY FLTS OF THE AIRMETS. I HAVE ASKED MGMNT AND THE PIT FSDO TO CONSIDER 2 OPTIONS: 1) PROGRAM AIRMETS TO AUTOMATICALLY GO INTO THE FLT WX PACKAGE; OR 2) VERIFY WHETHER AIRMETS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE 'FLT SAFETY CRITICAL' TO TRANSPORT CATEGORY ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THE FSDO CALLED HIS SUPVR AND INDICATED THEY WERE HAPPY THAT THE DISPATCH OFFICE WAS FOLLOWING UP. HOWEVER; HE GAVE NO INDICATION OF ANY ACTION THE FSDO WAS TAKING. RPTR'S IDEA TO HAVE THE AIRMETS PROGRAMMED INTO THE WX PACKAGE WILL NOT WORK DUE TO THE FORMATTING METHOD IN WHICH THEY ARE ISSUED. RPTR INDICATED THAT THERE WERE 21 AIRMETS ISSUED THAT DAY REGARDING TURB AND ICING. HE FELT MOST OF THEM WERE NOT VITAL TO ACR OPS. RPTR FEELS THE NEXT BEST OPTION WOULD BE TO SUMMARIZE THE INFO AND ISSUE IT AS ONE ADVISORY. THIS WOULD HAVE TO BE DONE 4 TIMES A DAY. THE WORDING IN AIM IS THE CONFUSING PART REGARDING AIRMETS AND SIGMETS AND RPTR FEELS THIS COULD BE CLARIFIED TO BETTER INDICATE THE USE OF EACH TYPE OF ADVISORY.