This paper provides an initial assessment of the accuracy of the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) water vapor retrievals from 500 to 100 mbar. AIRS satellite measurements are compared with accurate aircraft (NASA WB57) and balloon in situ water vapor measurements obtained during the NASA Pre-Aura Validation Experiment (Pre-AVE) in Costa Rica during Jan. 2004. AIRS retrieval (each pressure level of a single footprint) of water vapor amount agrees with the in situ measurements to ~25% or better if matched closely in time (1 hr) and space (50--100 km). Both AIRS and in situ measurements observe similar significant variation in moisture amount over a two-day period, associated with large-scale changes in weather patterns.