> using some cryptic standard abbreviations (to save space as if they were paying 1990s SMS)
When I did my initial pilot training in the late 1980’s, the codes for METAR, TAF, and NOTAM had already long been in place. It was explained to me at the time that the encoding was a practice that dated back to its origins in the teletype era. I suppose the limited baud rate of these devices meant that economizing on symbol density was a good idea. I’d still much rather read these succinct formats because it’s easier to chunk it at a glance.
When I did my initial pilot training in the late 1980’s, the codes for METAR, TAF, and NOTAM had already long been in place. It was explained to me at the time that the encoding was a practice that dated back to its origins in the teletype era. I suppose the limited baud rate of these devices meant that economizing on symbol density was a good idea. I’d still much rather read these succinct formats because it’s easier to chunk it at a glance.