Weather Article Matches:
by Paul A. Craig
It seems that, in the summer, the Flight Service Station weather briefers always hedge their bets by adding 'potential for afternoon thunderstorms' onto every briefing.
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by Paul A. Craig
It does seem logical that a 10-knot tailwind on the way back will 'pay you back' for the 10-knot headwind you had on the way out.
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by Reader Submission
A weather observer writes in to say that the FAA is kicking his kind out --
and warns they'll be taking accurate weather reporting with them...
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by George Wilhelmsen
There have been numerous fatalities in fog related accidents recently and far fewer survivors.
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by Paul A. Craig
The FAA has standard turbulence reporting criteria, but there is a problem.
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by Thomas Turner
'ATIS Information Bravo, 1150Z: Sky condition 300 overcast, visibility one and one-half miles, light rain and mist...'
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by Thomas Turner
One of the most critical aspects of flying cross-country is dealing with the weather, but almost all the weather information available for our preflight briefings comes only from areas near major airports -- and close to the ground.
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by Thomas Turner
Ice is the last great unknown in instrument flight -- although wide areas of suspected icing conditions may be forecast, there is *no* technology that can tell you specifically where you’ll encounter ice.
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by Paul A. Craig
A good pilot customarily calculates a ground speed, duration and estimated fuel burn before each flight -- all from forecast winds -- and that’s not so good...
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by Paul A. Craig
It’s time to watch the Outside Air Temperature Gauge and determine your altitudes based less on winds and more on how cold it is ... or suffer the consequences.
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by Thomas Turner
Lightning flashed and torrential rain blew in sheets as the 747-400 lined up for takeoff.
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by Jeff Pardo
Old Man Winter is here, and he’s brought his little bag of tricks with him -- here are some simple strategies that could save you a bloody fortune...
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by Jeff Pardo
Some Things You Probably Didn’t Know: Chances are that if some nine year-old asks you just how high up can clouds be, you'd probably think about those wispy cirrus clouds or towering cumulonimbus.
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by Thomas Turner
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VFR Flight Not Recommended....' How often have you driven instead of flown, only to fume the entire way as you drove through good flying weather?
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by Jeff Pardo
Why a hurricane and bathwater always spins counter-clockwise ... er, one of those, anyway.
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by George Wilhelmsen
How many times have you stared at the display of your lightning detection equipment, and questioned whether it was telling you the truth?
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by George Wilhelmsen
It could happen to you at any time and, from the moment the ice begins to form, your actions, and the time you take to implement them, will either keep you alive or get you killed.
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by Jeff Pardo
Knowledge is power in many of life's callings, but especially so in aviation -- our welfare often depends on decisions we make and the wisdom of what we decide to do (or not to do) often hinges on what we know.
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by Paul A. Craig
In the near future using barometric pressure to determine altitude will be a thing of the past, but until then, it will pay to know a few of the altimeter's tricks.
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by Thomas Turner
Who’s the wisest pilot -- the one who flies below the clouds, the one who flies above them, he or she who deviates around clouds, or the pilot who files instruments and flies through?
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by Paul A. Craig
Flying in the clouds may be the most demanding of pilot skills, but does flying IFR stretch a pilot's capabilities beyond the limits of safety?
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by Thomas Turner
It was a cloudless, hazy morning when the Cessna Skylane pilot preflighted for a hundred-mile business trip.
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by Jeff Pardo
When you get right down to it precise knowledge of local weather is the one critical determinant as to whether your three-hour instrument flight is going to have a happy ending, or become a cliffhanger at decision height.
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by Thomas Turner
I was in the right seat of a Beech Baron over Hutchinson, Kansas. KHUT is a sleepy little controlled airport just northwest of Wichita (it has a great restaurant, too!). My student and I were on a left downwind for Runway 31 toward the end of a long day's training.
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by Thomas Turner
The weather briefer told me there'd be 'nothing' between me and home for the 2.5 hour flight -- so why am I seeing towering cumulus up ahead?
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by Thomas Turner
The "categorical outlook" is a very general description of ceiling and visibility conditions contained in the Area Forecast. How can we use this extremely broad description to make a good go / no-go decision?
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by George Wilhelmsen
If you live in the northern climes -- specifically where the outside air temperature dips below the freezing mark -- then you are probably familiar with engine heaters. These little units do a single, simple task: they pre-heat our aircraft engines, so that the engines will start when needed... and not self-destruct in the process.
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by George Wilhelmsen
I remember the old "Star Trek" series, in which the communications officer would utter those famous words as she established contact with another vessel. "Hailing Frequencies Open, Captain," Uhura would say, to indicate that the captain could talk to the other ship.
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by George Wilhelmsen
If you've read my work here, you know that I respect Mother Nature. She is the force that creates beautiful sunsets, and gives us the delightful spring rains that bring forth the green fields that feed our world. I also believe that Mother Nature is a witch of the worst order, who will use the weather to beat sense into any pilot who should happen to disregard her power.
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by Jeff Pardo
Winter's coming (or here), and that means ice. If you were merrily motoring along and suddenly noticed ice forming on your wings, windshield, and elsewhere, aside from vacating that altitude pronto, you probably wouldn't slow down (unless it involved a maximum rate climb to warmer air). Your pulse would quicken, and most likely so would your engine, at your behest. That's probably a good idea -- except for one thing...
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by Jeff Pardo
I have a hard time trying to think of something good to say about stationary fronts. They not only tend to wear out their welcome, they never have any in the first place. Especially in the eastern United States, a stationary front associated with a low pressure system can drape itself over higher ground, and in the company of adjacent troughs and large areas of moderate rain showers (which are in turn fed by maritime air that drags in plenty of Atlantic or Gulf moisture), you have, aside from a formula for low clouds and wet, sticky weather, a recipe for disaster.
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by George Wilhelmsen
You've probably already read my call to watch your tires and preheat your engine when the temperature gets cold. Now I'm going to remind you about another important part of your flying that needs a little time to warm up on those spring mornings (and most any other day) - namely, your Avionics! The key here is to remember that aircraft are generally built for transportation over large distances. (Translation: just because the nights are warm where you came from, that doesn't mean they'll be warm where you're going.) As a pilot you must be very aware of your surroundings -- more so than you are attached to your expectations.
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by Jeff Pardo
Since it’s January, and I happen to be in northern New Jersey where evening temperatures have been dropping into the single digits this week, I’m feeling particularly motivated to bring up the subject of winter flying. If you’re feeling a bit cramped and compromised by cold weather though, take heart, because it could be worse: you could live up in Frostbite Falls.
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