How Often do You Referance Other Sources to Decode METAR's

[SkyHog]

That one sticks with me, because an instructor told me it was baby rain.

I remember it both as baby rain and British rain, but either way, that means you’re translating it twice. Once into a mnemonic and once into English. If it just said “mist” it would be easier and straightforward.

 

[SoCal RV Flyer]

Isn't British rain redundant?

 

[Sluggo63]

Code is easier to read than your native language. Got it.

Yes. When you're fluent in that language, it is. Most of the professional pilots here are "fluent" in METAR, so we can read it just as quickly (if not quicker) than plain language English. If you are fluent in another spoken language, you'll understand that there is really no "mental translation" that's done. I can see the German word "Kugelschrieber" and just know that it's a "pen."

Do you find it burdensome to read "15° C" and have to mentally translate it to "Fifteen degrees Celcius?" I'm sure you don't because you are used to that "language."

Do you get flummoxed reading a recipe when you see "1-1/2 tsp."?

I'm sure Chemists don't all all bent out of shape over the fact that "Fe" is "Iron", "Au" is "Gold", and "Hg" is "Mercury." I'll have to visit the "Chemists of America" forum to see if there is a big push to get a plain language periodic table going.

And I'm not even in the camp of some of the old timers who think "you're a pilot... take some pride... learn the codes!" I just don't want there to be a push to take away my second "language" at work when everybody has the ability these days to decode METARs and have them displayed in plain English.

 

[midlifeflyer]

Funny thread.

I guess part of the split is related to ease of picking up foreign languages. METAFese is a bit like any other non-native language. Some just get it easier than others. Some find it not worth the effort. The long-timers among us probably remember the brouhaha over the change from SA and FT to METAR and TAF. "Having finally become more or less comfortable with one foreign language, you expect me to learn another!!?"

Personally, I like the code because I find the condensed version faster and easier to read than the long version (except I like the local times in some translation).

OTOH, thank goodness modern GPS units identify navaids so I don't have to read those tiny dots and dashes.

 

[midlifeflyer]

Of course it is, for the same reason that doing math using numerals is easier than doing it with the numbers spelled out.

I'm sure there are those who find "one million, two hundred eighty-three thousand, six hundred and seventy-four" easier than 1,283,674.

 

[Bill]

Much ado about nothing. In the grand scheme of becoming a pilot, learning to read TAFs and METARs is small potatoes.