The bit where the UKMO does pilots a dis-service is in longer range data, e.g. "can I fly back home 3 days from now?" They give you only the MSLP charts, and they flog the rest to commercial weather repackagers.
Couldn't agree more.
With patchy internet access when you are in your hotel room wherever that may be getting good met data enabling you to optimise return route and timing can be a challenge.
I now have a mobile card for my laptop (as of last month), I had previously used a sony ericsson P910i phone for weather whilst away but the data was neither fast nor as detailed as I needed it to be and rather expensive too.
I have also noticed the BBC interactive weather forecast on the TV becoming limited to 24 hrs (max 48hrs) in advance rather than the 5 days we used to get this time last year.
An inane picture of a babbling brook or a snowy motorway takes the place of a weather map - anything to cut costs and reduce risks of inaccuracy.
How about a 5-day aviation forecast free of charge?
Do you think the general public would buy that?
SB