Phoning Up the ‭Meteorologist

[APenNameAndThatA]

I was planning to fly form Quilpie to Birdsville. The Terminal Area Forecast (TAF) said that the weather at Birdsville would be CAVOK, which meant that it was great weather to go flying. The Graphical Area Forecast (GAF) said that there would be scattered cumulus/stratocumulus clouds from 4000 feet to 7000 feet, which meant that it was very bad weather to go flying. I thought that it was completely reasonable to phone someone up and ask them what was going on. It turns out that there is a phone number at the bottom of the GAF and that if you phone it up, even if it is at 0700, someone will be able to explain what's happening. It seems to me that having someone to talk about weather with would be a good antidote to get home itis. Talking to anyone would be a good substitute to having a dispatcher I guess.

 

Apparently the forecasts around Birdsville are not good because it lies between the radars at Longreach and Woomera (I might be wrong about the locations). The TAF's are usually better than the GAF's. The weather in Birdsville is usually the weather at William Creek and Coober Pedy the day before, and Port Augusta two days before.  

[Bosi72]

Birdsville doesn't have a TAF. 

Metar is not the forecast, it is a routine weather report, i.e. current data from the weather station.

Use GAF for flight planning.

Edited June 13, 2022 by Bosi72

[Neil_S]

13 hours ago, APenNameAndThatA said:

I was planning to fly form Quilpie to Birdsville. The Terminal Area Forecast (TAF) said that the weather at Birdsville would be CAVOK, which meant that it was great weather to go flying. The Graphical Area Forecast (GAF) said that there would be scattered cumulus/stratocumulus clouds from 4000 feet to 7000 feet, which meant that it was very bad weather to go flying. I thought that it was completely reasonable to phone someone up and ask them what was going on. It turns out that there is a phone number at the bottom of the GAF and that if you phone it up, even if it is at 0700, someone will be able to explain what's happening. It seems to me that having someone to talk about weather with would be a good antidote to get home itis. Talking to anyone would be a good substitute to having a dispatcher I guess.

 

Apparently the forecasts around Birdsville are not good because it lies between the radars at Longreach and Woomera (I might be wrong about the locations). The TAF's are usually better than the GAF's. The weather in Birdsville is usually the weather at William Creek and Coober Pedy the day before, and Port Augusta two days before.  

Yes - I have called that number a few times when a bit more detailed info would be useful, eg when planning to fly through Kilmore Gap on a cloudy day. I have always found the people I spoke to very helpful and happy to assist. Sometimes it confirmed the "no go" decision. 

[APenNameAndThatA]

21 hours ago, Bosi72 said:

Birdsville doesn't have a TAF. 

Metar is not the forecast, it is a routine weather report, i.e. current data from the weather station.

Use GAF for flight planning.

 

[Bosi72]

1 hour ago, APenNameAndThatA said:

 

You are correct. My apologies.

 

[APenNameAndThatA]

8 hours ago, Bosi72 said:

You are correct. My apologies.

 

No need to apologise.