Met Office 'Met for Aviators' Course

[snapper41]

The Met Office runs a 2-day course at its college in Exeter called 'Met for Aviators'. It is aimed at private pilots, and looks a good syllabus:

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/training/ct_aviation.html

Has anyone done it? If so, what's it like?

[FullyFlapped]

A few years ago I tried a couple of times to get on it, but it was either fully booked or didn't run because not enough people were interested.

Shame really, as I think it would have been really useful to me at the time ... would be interesting to see a write-up from anyone who's done it.

[stiknruda]

I did it in 2000 in Reading.

It didn't really hit the spot for me, I had hoped that I'd be able to better interpret the charts/TAFs etc. It was more about how the wx was captured, processed then forecast rather than the stuff out of the window or what comprised the chart that the BBC weather-babe stood in front of.

Nevertheless it was interesting and I did bump into a couple of rogues that I knew!

Having just looked at the syllabus - that is exactly what I wanted but didn't get. They must have taken heed of my course critique form:cool::p

[Cusco]

I did it in 1999 at Bracknell:

Quite interesting but I came away feeling it lacked something.

Did however enjoy the night trip to Met head office if only to see the bearded sandle-wearing forecasters flicking paper clips at each other while whacking out weather forecasts for clients all over the world and printing out endless synoptic charts on the biggest laser printer you ever did see.............

Probably changed now as I made a few post course comments too. Sadly never met any of the TV totty.

IMHO intensive weather training is a must for all 'postgraduate' PPLs

Safe flying

Cusco

[CAP746]

In response to this thread regarding the Met For Aviator Course.

Yes, we have listened to feedback from those who have attended in the past and the course has been further developed and the course syllabus adapted to suit the needs of pilots.

Since October 2007 the new format of the course has been very popular with pilots with very favourable feedback. Word of mouth and personal recommendations have meant that courses fill rapidly and we haven't had to cancel a course for lack of numbers (as has happened in the past).

Course still includes a visit to our Operations Centre to see the forecaster's in action.

New course dates for June and July will be announced soon on the Met Office Aviation training web site. http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/training/ct_aviation.html

We are also looking at future enhancements including an advanced module and a seperate course for ATPL pilots.

Further information can also be obtained by e-mailing [email protected].

regards
Andy Kerr
Manager Met For Aviators Training
Met Office, Exeter

[IO540]

A European map of cloud temperatures would be handy, if it had a calibration scale next to it (altitude v. temperature) because one could then get cloud tops from that.

Re weather courses, I did one a couple of years ago. The universal criticism is that they are purely PPL level stuff. Nowadays quite a lot of pilots are looking for practical IFR pilot weather workshops, which get weather from modern internet sources and interpret it into an enroute profile.

[LH2]

Nowadays quite a lot of pilots are looking for practical IFR pilot weather workshops, which get weather from modern internet sources and interpret it into an enroute profile

I fully second that. Perhaps those "Met for ATPLs" workshops mentioned above are just that?

I digress, but it'd be also interesting to know why the Met want me to pay if I want to download something as basic for flight safety as is a sig weather chart (with the net result that I go and get it from, e.g., Meteofrance instead, for free).