1. AVIATION WEATHER
DEBBIE SCHAUM

2. Self- Briefing Procedures
Weather Awareness
Big picture, what’s the general weather along your route.
Look outside
Look at the weather on the TV
Get the big picture from your home computer

3. Self Briefing cont. Are you ready to fly this mission?
- Are you qualified to fly in these conditions?
- Do you have the experience to take on this mission?
- Are you physically capable?
- Are you mentally ready?

4. Things you need to know What type of aircraft Limits of aircraft
Proposed flight level
Take off and destination forecast
Hazards enroute
Winds enroute
Time enroute

5. Weather information Current weather Surface analysis Weather depiction
Radar summary
Satellite
METARS along route
Pireps

6. Weather Information Cont.
Forecast Weather
TAFS for takeoff and departure
Prog charts valid for flight time
Hazard forecast valid for flight time
Hazards at your flight level
Discussion bulletins that apply to your route of flight

7. Alternates and Flight Paths
An Alternate is used if the weather at your destination is not suitable for landing.
Winds are too strong or creating too much of a crosswind
Thunderstorms/severe weather are over the field
Visibilities are below pilot’s/plane’s minimum capabilities
Ceiling is too low
Runway is icy or snow covered

8. Weather Data Sources

9. ERAU WX http://wx.erau.edu/data/
Good satellite and radar images; access to WSI data; limited surface and forecast graphics; does not have upper air or model graphics data.

11. Graphical data allows route planning

13. Then pick additional
Information for your
route of flight

19. Aviation Weather Center
Good for aviation weather hazards; good satellite access; icing and turbulence information; pilot reports; some manual forecast graphics; access to experimental aviation hazard products (ADDS); lacks model data; lacks public weather

24. National Weather Service
Good overview of public weather; click on organization to get web listings for all local NWS offices

27. HOURLY WEATHER GRAPH
Take off data
Runway
Cross winds
Chance of
Precip

28. NCAR-RAP http://www.rap.ucar.edu/weather
Aviation oriented web page; forecast model graphics are useful aviation planning (clouds, winds, etc); has links to other related weather web sites.
Vertical profile data (Skew-T/Log P)

29. Using the ADDS Flight Planning Tool
Go to
Click on Java Tools

30. Launch new FPT (Flight Path Tool)
Select your flight altitude

31. Click on Configure and Identify the items you want displayed

33. Creating a cross sectional view
Click on airplane button on left side.
Place cursor on starting location and left click (should put a 1 on that location)
Move your mouse to your destination and left click (should put a 2 on that location)
Continue to all your destinations
When complete right click and click on show cross-section.

35. Cross section cont. This should display a cross section view.
It will always have your starting destination on the left side.
Along the bottom you will find all the information you requested by rolling over the points

37. METARS/TAFS
METAR is Meteorological Terminal Aviation Routine Weather Report
It is the observation of current conditions
By the time it is online it is old information
TAF is Terminal Airdrome Forecast
Provide a forecast of weather conditions at an airport for the next 6-24 hours.

40. Forecasting tools
Great aviation tool for looking up to 63 hrs into future
Flight restriction probabilities
Ceiling and cloud tops
Low level wind shear
Icing potential up to FL 240
Turbulence potential FL 180 and higher
Precip probability
Fog probability

43. SREF
Time of
origin
Valid time
Probability

44. Food for thought