What do you like to use for weather briefings?

A

aranpura

Pre-Flight
Joined
Mar 23, 2010
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52
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New Haven, CT
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Display name:
Ash
Hi folks! I'm re-joining the group after a few years absence from flying (I was living in England, flew twice as a passenger with a friend). It feels good to be back! I've got my VFR currency back in spec, but weather sources have changed a lot since I did my private and I'm wondering what everyone here uses for briefings.

My current practice is to use Foreflight's imagery tab to get the surface outlook a day or two before a flight, to get a sense of where systems are likely to move. Then I use area TAFs (Foreflight again) the day before and the morning of the flight. For anything other than perfect weather, or for a cross-country, I'd also get a telephone briefing.

I'd like to find a better source for weather a few days out, something better than the picture icons on most weather sites. What do you like for looking at weather a few days out? Do you like Foreflight for weather briefings, versus other iOS briefing apps?

Thanks for any tips, I used to be very familiar with websites etc for this sort of thing, but I feel I've lost touch a bit.

-Ash.
 
I get my preliminary information from your typical weather source, usually either weather.com or NOAA. I then print out a standard briefing from duats and take a look at the weather graphics. (forecast charts, prog charts, satellite, radar, etc.) And finally, I always call Wx-BRIEF. Even if you just call them to verify, I always feel more comfortable hearing someone tell me there are no TFR's. ;)
 
I really like the way this website displays weather information for preflight planning.

http://www.usairnet.com/cgi-bin/launch/code.cgi?Submit=Go&sta=KAGS&state=GA

I also have WingX on my iPad and it links up with DUATS to provide very complete briefings. It also has a wide array of weather maps in WingX.

In flight I have an iLevil AHRS / ADS-B receiver that feeds weather information to WingX and displays the weather over my sectionals. I really like it a lot.
 
Duat interactive overlays
 
I use some combination of the following:
http://www.usairnet.com: I agree with Mick that the presentation is very good.
http://www.weathermeister.com: I like how it optimizes your cruise altitude for speed or economy.
http://www.aopa.com/wx: Lots of visual dipictions in one place.
http://www.skyvector.com: Sectional with radar, fuel prices, airmet, icing, etc...

If I'm on a computer that has Java available, I do like the ADDS Flight Path Tool too: http://aviationweather.gov/adds/fptapplication/
 
Weathermeister and FSS.
 
I get virtually all my weather data from the National Weather Service's Aviation Digital Data Service.

http://www.aviationweather.gov/adds

All the data, all the graphics, lots of convection and icing information, all on one site. Yes, I pull down a standard brief from DUATS via Foreflight so there's an official record of the briefing and I can carry all the data in my iPad in flight, but by then I pretty good idea of the situation and my plan.
 
It took 9 posts to mention Scott's site? www.AvWxWorkshops.com

His briefing system gets better all the time. And pulls all of the major weather products and some hard to find ones into one space.
 
I had the same question, so I wrote an app to do it--Takeoff.
 
aranpura said:
My current practice is to use Foreflight's imagery tab to get the surface outlook a day or two before a flight, to get a sense of where systems are likely to move. Then I use area TAFs (Foreflight again) the day before and the morning of the flight. For anything other than perfect weather, or for a cross-country, I'd also get a telephone briefing.

I'd like to find a better source for weather a few days out, something better than the picture icons on most weather sites. What do you like for looking at weather a few days out? Do you like Foreflight for weather briefings, versus other iOS briefing apps?
Click to expand...

I use ForeFlight pretty much as you describe, and supplement with ADDS if needed. An outlook briefing with FSS gives the chance to chat with someone about my analysis and see if I missed something.

It's truly amazing the tools we have at our disposal these days....things we weren't even able to dream about 30 years ago because there wasn't a frame of reference for what is now commonplace technology.
 
I use the ADDS website along with AOPA weather charts, but I still call a briefer for my outlook and standard briefings. I usually have the charts up on my laptop or I-pad when I am on the phone with the briefer so I am sure in understand the overall picture.

I am attending Scott's seminar in Cincy this fall so I fully understnd his site and will add that to my box of tools.
 
For instant gratification I use METAM on my Nexus 7. The Tactical Aid function is great.
I also use DUAT to look at the pretty pictures.
I was also using Skyvector overlays, but I'm noticing they have been a bit out of synch with the real world this past week.
 
aranpura said:
Hi folks! I'm re-joining the group after a few years absence from flying (I was living in England, flew twice as a passenger with a friend). It feels good to be back! I've got my VFR currency back in spec, but weather sources have changed a lot since I did my private and I'm wondering what everyone here uses for briefings.

My current practice is to use Foreflight's imagery tab to get the surface outlook a day or two before a flight, to get a sense of where systems are likely to move. Then I use area TAFs (Foreflight again) the day before and the morning of the flight. For anything other than perfect weather, or for a cross-country, I'd also get a telephone briefing.

I'd like to find a better source for weather a few days out, something better than the picture icons on most weather sites. What do you like for looking at weather a few days out? Do you like Foreflight for weather briefings, versus other iOS briefing apps?

Thanks for any tips, I used to be very familiar with websites etc for this sort of thing, but I feel I've lost touch a bit.

-Ash.
Click to expand...

"Area TAF" is a contradiction in terms. Be wary when using TAFs unless your destination is the primary airport for that forecast. Within the past week, Scott replied to someone who questioned the accuracy of a TAF...the poster had the TAF for Norfolk but was flying out of (or into, I don't recall) Chesapeake, which is 15 miles away from Norfolk. He was upset because conditions at CPK did not match up with the TAF for ORF. Scott pointed out (again) that a TAF is good only within 5 miles of the primary airport.

Bob Gardner
 
First, I look out the window - thats very underrated.

Then for legal I get legal - DUAT.com usually through my iPad so the briefing is with me.

Then, if it looks like there is actual weather, I'll hit the Skew-T for freezing levels, and winds, and then the pireps for actual 'what people are seeing.' and generally get an idea for the synoptic picture, whats causing what I'm seeing and what is forecast locally and why.

I would have looked at the Area Forecast Discussion either before I even started that morning or the prior evening to get the forecast picture . . . . depends how far I'm going and what I'm doing. A trip to RAL or CRQ or CMA has a little less build up and effort than a 2 hour trip to the bay area through a couple of climatic zones . ..
 
3aju5edy.jpg
 
Duat on my iPad, direct link
Duat data through Forflight
ADDS
Local NWS web, discussions
 
Foreflight with my "save my aviation career" phone call to FSS to check on last minute TFR's.
 
If I'm actually going somewhere of any distance from home base, after checking adds AF tool via FF for a couple day prior, I'll use the
scottd said:
Internet Wx Brief Roadmap.
Click to expand...
that ScottD mentioned. I then get a DUAT briefing via FF and then follow up with the call to FSS (which is obligatory if I'm operating in the FRZ that flight).
 
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