In Flight Weather - What are you using

steviedeviant

steviedeviant

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Birmingham, Alabama
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StevieD
I wanted to just get a feel as to what other VFR pilots are using. Other than contacting 122.2 for weather briefing, what are some setups that you have for weather? Are you most of you using Stratus and Foreflight?

Also, I was curious about the Garmin portable GPS/Weather systems - Yeah I know they are $1,500, but anyone out there that uses them, how are they different from a Foreflight+Weather GPS system? Just asking....

Thanks,
SD
 
Still using XM pending the ADSB installation. I've got a Stratux to play with but haven't managed to get the datalink to work right (Though teh 1090ES seems fine).
 
I have a Garmin Aera 510 with the XM puck. But I bought a GDL-39 for ADS-B in & WX and cancelled the XM weather. XM is definitely better in coverage, there were times in the UP when WX coverage was spotty. I did keep the XM radio though and that runs thru my Garmin Aera.

I also BT thru the GDL to my iPhone and my Android tablet running Garmin Pilot. So I've got triple redundancy as long as the GDL itself doesn't fail. Normally I leave the iPhone running the traffic screen, the tablet with a VFR Sectional, and my Aera on it's normal home screen. I have to admit, sometimes it's just too much gadgetry.
 
Our Cessna has become somewhat of a wx-comparison workshop, albeit inadvertently. We've got a GTN650/GDL88 in the panel, a GDL39 on the dash (there before the 650, and just not removed yet), that blue-tooths to a Garmin 795 on one yoke and a Nexus 7 running Garmin Pilot (Android) on the other. There's also usually a (portable, of course) Stratus on the dash, that blue-tooths to an iPad running Foreflight, sitting between the seats (left-over from Mrs.' work...she prefers the Jepp charts). Geeks that we are, when we get bored going x-country one of the things we do is fire everything up and compare wx when there's some around. Not surprisingly, it's usually pretty much the same.

Regarding the Garmin aviation portables, I would say they are really no better or worse than any of the others. I'd have to look to see what we're paying for database updates compared to the others to factor that in. Personal opinion....for VFR usage, find a used GDL39 (not 3D...straight is cheaper, and you only lose the AHRS), a Nexus equivalent and get the GP minimal subscriptiion.

Your mileage may vary....

Jim
 
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FF/Stratus II and Mark I eyeball.
 
Free weather displayed on my GRT EFIS and ADS/B. Also Foreflight on my iPad mini.
 
ADSB Weather via Status 2 and Foreflight here.

If that was not a free thing once you got the hardware I probably would have gone the XM subscription route.
 
I hope enough subscribers stay on to keep XM going for many years to come. I have both: XM in the panel (G1000 Perspective) and ADSB on iPad with Stratus. IMO the XM weather with the top level (Aviator Pro, I think) subscription has some very meaningful advantages - specifically for me the CIP (Current Icing Product), winds aloft, satellite picture, prog chart-like fronts depiction, full USA coverage for Nexrad at the same level of resolution (rather than blocky national data with more accurate local data like ADSB).

I like ADSB and it is great for what you pay for it but if enough people stopped paying for XM weather and XM radio in their cars (which I fear is happening with streaming music services) and the company can no longer afford to service the expensive infrastructure, I would very much miss my XM.

I hope that if that happens, ADSB will have caught up at least by then.
 
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RudyP said:
I hope that if that happens, ADSB will have caught up at least by then.
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No doubt that XM delivers a superior product but it is hard to compete with free for a product that serves the needs of most of the average recreational pilots.
 
Personal- none, other than ATC & ASOS.
Work- same but add XM.
 
WingX off the ADS-B. WingX is free for CFI's so why not ? I can't for the life of me understand why people still pay for XM ?

Just send that money to me instead ok ? Tell me where you are and when you want to takeoff and I'll tell you if you should go or not.
 
I've used the stratus 1, homemade stratux, and a stratus 2S that I've just started using for this recent trip. Hands down the 2S is the best. I found all sorts of traffic I might not have ever been aware of with it and having the weather available in the air after refueling at an airport with no facilities and no cell reception was extremely helpful.

None of these receivers could reliably get a tower below around 2-3000agl but the 2S was doing a good job picking up the ads-b out from nearby aircraft at those altitudes. I've found once above 4,000 or so I'm usually receiving multiple towers with any of them.

I understand the xm unit would work at all altitudes but there's no traffic data and I don't like having subscriptions to things in general.
 
For VFR, Ill check before the preflight on FF, enroute I just use the V part of VFR
 
Art VanDelay said:
WingX off the ADS-B. WingX is free for CFI's so why not ? I can't for the life of me understand why people still pay for XM ?
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RudyP said:
IMO the XM weather with the top level (Aviator Pro, I think) subscription has some very meaningful advantages - specifically for me the CIP (Current Icing Product), winds aloft, satellite picture, prog chart-like fronts depiction, full USA coverage for Nexrad at the same level of resolution (rather than blocky national data with more accurate local data like ADSB).
Click to expand...

I get that the extra features of XM might not be that valuable for everyone but they are for some pilots depending on the kind of flying you do. All of my 250-300 hours a year are cross country mission flying, often across large swaths of the US land mass and occasionally international. I use these weather products for in flight decision making and they are incredibly useful.
 
RudyP said:
I get that the extra features of XM might not be that valuable for everyone but they are for some pilots depending on the kind of flying you do. All of my 250-300 hours a year are cross country mission flying, often across large swaths of the US land mass and occasionally international. I use these weather products for in flight decision making and they are incredibly useful.
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Please ! Enlighten me, what can't you figure out with the stuff that you can get for free ?????????
 
Maybe because XM goes off satellites thus you'll have way better coverage?
 
I've got XM in my car & plane, but can't justify the expense for WX for the type of flying I do. Mine is decidedly different than Rudy's obviously.
 
Jim Rosenow said:
Our Cessna has become somewhat of a wx-comparison workshop, albeit inadvertently. We've got a GTN650/GDL88 in the panel, a GDL39 on the dash (there before the 650, and just not removed yet), that blue-tooths to a Garmin 795 on one yoke and a Nexus 7 running Garmin Pilot (Android) on the other. There's also usually a (portable, of course) Stratus on the dash, that blue-tooths to an iPad running Foreflight, sitting between the seats (left-over from Mrs.' work...she prefers the Jepp charts). Geeks that we are, when we get bored going x-country one of the things we do is fire everything up and compare wx when there's some around. Not surprisingly, it's usually pretty much the same.

Regarding the Garmin aviation portables, I would say they are really no better or worse than any of the others. I'd have to look to see what we're paying for database updates compared to the others to factor that in. Personal opinion....for VFR usage, find a used GDL39 (not 3D...straight is cheaper, and you only lose the AHRS), a Nexus equivalent and get the GP minimal subscriptiion.

Your mileage may vary....

Jim
Click to expand...


So does the GDL39 do basically what a Stratus does? Instead of use Foreflight I would use Garmin Pilot?

Thanks
 
steviedeviant said:
I wanted to just get a feel as to what other VFR pilots are using. Other than contacting 122.2 for weather briefing, what are some setups that you have for weather? Are you most of you using Stratus and Foreflight?

Also, I was curious about the Garmin portable GPS/Weather systems - Yeah I know they are $1,500, but anyone out there that uses them, how are they different from a Foreflight+Weather GPS system? Just asking....

Thanks,
SD
Click to expand...
When I fly (IFR or VFR) I'm usually running a Garmin portable (either Aera 510 or 696) with XM receiver and iPad/iPhone with Stratus.
 
steviedeviant said:
So does the GDL39 do basically what a Stratus does? Instead of use Foreflight I would use Garmin Pilot?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Yessir, that's it exactly....you pay's your money and take's your choice :)

GDL39 is portable, has a GPS, will plug into 12-volt 'cigarette' outlets or an internal battery, but only 'talks' with Garmin 'stuff'. (either corded or blue-tooth)..Garmin aviation portables or Garmin Pilot (2 portable units at once).

Jim
 
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Art VanDelay said:
Please ! Enlighten me, what can't you figure out with the stuff that you can get for free ?????????
Click to expand...

Is this a serious question? I can't really imagine it is but just in case, how about what altitudes have more or less ice or more or less favorable winds, where convection will be two hours from now along my route of flight, that sort of thing.

Winds aloft alone probably shorten my monthly flying by an hour or so which easily covers in DOC the cost of my XM subscription. My block time over 100,000 miles of flying this plane I got 1.5 years ago is 185 knots which is only 15 knots below my cruise TAS and that includes climbs, approaches, patterns, headwinds more than half of my flights, etc... The reason im able to get good overall wheels up to wheels down trip ground speed is because I have really good inflight wind data and always optimize for it on every flight. I frequently will change altitude 5+ times per flight. Adsb does not give you that.
 
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Jim Rosenow said:
Yessir, that's it exactly....you pay's your money and take's your choice :)

GDL39 is portable, has a GPS, will plug into 12-volt 'cigarette' outlets or an internal battery, but only 'talks' with Garmin 'stuff'. (either corded or blue-tooth)..Garmin aviation portables or Garmin Pilot (2 portable units at once).

Jim
Click to expand...

News flash....I had forgotten, the latest version of Foreflight is compatible with the GDL39 running its' latest software version. You can have your cake and eat it too. Need to try that next flight!!

https://support.foreflight.com/hc/e...-or-39R-ADS-B-receivers-work-with-ForeFlight-
 
WingX & ADS-B. Switched early from a 396 & XM, which is why I have WingX; FF didn't have ADS-B, and didn't add it for quite some time.

The XM radar data was a little higher res, but ADS-B works great. Both have lags that make zigging and zagging on the output not a great idea.
 
ADS-B via a GDL39 displayed on my EFIS (Garmin G3X) and my tablet running Garmin Pilot.
 
Just got GTX 345 installed last week. Not much experience with weather on the system. Need to fly around some serious weather to get idea about thee time lag ,movement of nex rad etc but its hard to do during this time of the year due icing etc.
 
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