Weather enroute

[Aim Far]

When I was bimbling along VFR in Germany a couple of weeks back, I heard a number of Ryanair planes asking for weather for their destinations from one of the Information frequencies, Zurich or Langen or Bremen etc.

My question is not why they were doing this - it seems eminently sensible - but rather why they were the only airline to do this and why they were asking on the information frequency rather than from their enroute IFR controller?

[TopBunk]

It could be for either or both of the following.

1. Ryanair don't have ACARS on their aircraft,
2. They fly to places for which there is no Volmet broadcast.

Hence the only way that they can get the latest destination weather is from an en-route ATC facility. If the wx is not forecast to be good it makes sense to get an early heads-up.

Quite probably others can think of other reasons.

[witchdoctor]

Maybe the dispatcher forgot to bring the wx pack out to the a/c before departure. :O Don't know anybody that would be prepared to delay a departure for the wx pack, especially not Ryanair.

[BOAC]

Aim Far - quite a lot of destinations do not have ATIS, including some of BA's, so it is necessary to ask for it as 'Aerobat' says.

[fatboy slim]

I think the question was why use ABC Info rather than the radar controller a flight is speaking to. It's a simple case of the Radar guys being too involved with traffic to get Wx, although he will if there is no other option. The Info freqs are there for that exactly -Information. I often use the service from GVA INFO when flying into Milan as those darn hills get in the way of the MXP ATIS.

As to why FR use the service more it may be a company cultural thing - they may have realised it's available and quicker and easier than listening out for entire VOLMETs or scratchy ATIS.

[411A]

....or using VHF or HF for flight following, which is required by FAA certificated carriers.
No proper dispatcher/company communications, generally results in extra workload for the crew.
Many European carriers have a lot to learn about well organized flight following.
But of course, if the regulatory authorities don't require same...it ain't likely to be high on the priority list, as it costs money.:ooh:

[FJJP]

I used to have the HF tuned to likely VOLMET stations - even close to the destination or diversion airfield was better than nothing. Also, I had likely diversion airfields planned along the route for bolthole emergency diversions - Picking up their ATIS kept a good picture going so that in the event of a major emergency, weather was one less factor to worry about; the knowledge also helped to plan the likely approach.