At FAA facilities with an associated NWS office, wind-direction and speed indicator readings must be checked when?

• A. Every 6 hours
• B. Every 12 hours
• C. At the beginning of each work day
• D. At the beginning of each work week

Answer: (C)

The main idea is to verify that wind data being displayed to controllers is accurate at the start of the duty period. When a facility operates with an associated NWS office, the wind-direction indicator and wind-speed indicator must be checked at the beginning of each work day to confirm they are functioning and that their readings align with the official weather data from the NWS (such as METAR winds). This daily check catches overnight drift, calibration changes, or any instrument drift that could lead to pilots and controllers receiving incorrect wind information. By confirming accuracy first thing, you ensure that runway use decisions, takeoff/landing priorities, and sequencing are based on reliable winds for that shift. If the readings don’t match within tolerance, the issue is addressed before operations continue, and the official NWS data is used for safety-critical decisions until the instrument is corrected.