Understanding the weather for pilots

[eightyknots]

Hey Zib- "Stick and Rudder" was the first instructional text I read on flying- I found it in the library at 12 years of age and had about 30+borrowings stamped on the card by the time I was 15- we couldn't afford it then and no one had it any way. Grab them both, they'll change your life even if you only fly weight shift at the moment.....

I second that; it's a great read. Even though this was written half a century ago, it is still very relevent for today.

 

BTW: Langewiesche (the author) presumes that all pilots are male. He always refers to pilots as 'he', 'his', or 'him'.

 

 

[68volksy]

I've always approached the weather from a different angle due to flying only for fun I suppose. Basically if both the 'socks swinging and it's more than 4/8ths i'll generally stay on the ground. If the METAR or TAF has weird and wonderful acronyms pasted across it then i'll search the local area for one that doesn't have any such weird acronyms and usually plan a flight there.

 

Just matching my flying to the effort I want to put in. It's a recreational activity for me so if i'm not having fun it's time for a cuppa or i'm homeward bound. Same goes with fishing - if it's looking miserable the alarm gets switched off...

 

 

[Guest Howard Hughes]

Many years ago when I was flying out of Mount Gambier, I arrived at work one day and there was a code I didn't recognise on the TAF, after looking it up, I found there was 40% chance of volcanic ash with visibilty down to 500M for Mount Gambier. I made a quick call to the local metman to ask if the Mount had erupted overnight and I had missed it!

 

 

[Eric McCandless]

I've always approached the weather from a different angle due to flying only for fun I suppose. Basically if both the 'socks swinging and it's more than 4/8ths i'll generally stay on the ground. If the METAR or TAF has weird and wonderful acronyms pasted across it then i'll search the local area for one that doesn't have any such weird acronyms and usually plan a flight there.Just matching my flying to the effort I want to put in. It's a recreational activity for me so if i'm not having fun it's time for a cuppa or i'm homeward bound. Same goes with fishing - if it's looking miserable the alarm gets switched off...

I'm completely the opposite. I'm the one with my face to the cold blustery wind thinking "well its down to 18 knots now, the cloud base has lifted to 1,100 feet, and it has not rained for the last 10 minutes. If I wait a bit longer ...... ". I think I have the bug real bad. Eric

 

 

[Zibi]

Hi Zibi, I have ordered a good second hand version of this book from Amazon and I look forward to reading this over summer. ETA = December.

Mine has arrived last week (even though Amazon has estimated the delivery to be on the 24th of Dec).

So far I'm about 4 chapters in, seems good.

 

I've already picked up a couple things, that probably to most aviators would be obvious, but since I'm barely begging my flying adventure (it's been 15 months since my first flight, and 3 months since my license) it's all fairly new to me.

 

The book focuses a lot on US and weather patterns in there, but some things are universal.

 

 

[68volksy]

I'm completely the opposite. I'm the one with my face to the cold blustery wind thinking "well its down to 18 knots now, the cloud base has lifted to 1,100 feet, and it has not rained for the last 10 minutes. If I wait a bit longer ...... ". I think I have the bug real bad. Eric

I think you've actually morphed into the flying bug that other people catch!

 

 

[facthunter]

Good on you Eric.

 

Weather. You can read a lot about it and still not have what you practically need for your area, and your operations. Covering the legal requirements is one thing but the practical application of it is another thing. Local knowledge is essential with small aircraft, particularly. When I stayed at Narromine the locals filled me in with the winds that blow there. You will find this sort of knowledge all over the place but how do you get it?

 

Using "air mass analysis" is pretty good in australia. The "nature" of the air mas has much to do with weather when it moves and sometimes modifies. You can get wind direction and strength from the MSL isobar map. The wind goes at 30 degrees across the isobars from higher to lower pressure faster when the lines are closer together and clockwise around a cyclone (low) (In the southern hemisphere)..You can get a 4 day or more one. You can also find where the fronts are and how they are moving. You can find upper air troughs. You don't fly through a strong cold front for instance and you can get a lot of rain along the coast from tropical maritime air (warm anr moist) stream. Your wet and dry bulb temps ( relative humidity) can give you an idea of the likely cloud base or the possibility of fog. You need to consider the time of day ( temp variations). Fogs usually form early in the morning and clear by about mid morning.( I said usually). If you have a low cloud base and the temperature is falling the base will usually lower, and lift if it is rising. Try to get a practical working knowledge of how it happens and you get to understand why. Nev