PDA

View Full Version : Weather forecast apps/sites?


Nurse2Pilot
22nd Oct 2018, 10:04
Starting my training soon and I was wondering what weather forecast apps (Android) or websites you guys would recommend? I'd like to be able to schedule my training days with some semblance of certainty! :D Thanks!

Tubeflyer
22nd Oct 2018, 12:14
“AeroWeather Lite” is good once you get your head around METARS and TAFs but my favourite is “Windy” website and App is fantastic at giving a visualisation of the weather with loads of options of layers to play with

Auxtank
22nd Oct 2018, 13:16
SkyVector is great. Make sure you have "Text WEATHER (METAR/TAF)" Ticked in the drop down menu ,and just read them off for your route.
https://skyvector.com

For longer range forecasting I find XCWeather.co.k to be pretty reliable as it pools forecasts from many sources and kind of does an averaging game. I use it for sailing and flying as 'go to' for what to expect.

https://www.xcweather.co.uk/GB/observations

magicmick
22nd Oct 2018, 14:17
UK Metoffice has an excellent aviation weather section, free to register and use:

https://register.metoffice.gov.uk/WaveRegistrationClient/public/register.do?service=generalaviation

Nurse2Pilot
22nd Oct 2018, 15:39
Three replies and five recommendations! Thanks guys! I'm sure to be confused about these initially but I hope they will make sense soon and give me a somewhat reliable way of getting to fly!

Any other recommendations? Or a vote for any of the above?

Reverserbucket
23rd Oct 2018, 13:42
For the UK, the MetOffice is the official source of weather information for aviation and it would be good to familiarise yourself with coded TAFs and METARs as well as lapforms 214/215 for significant weather and spot winds that you'll use for flight planning. Windy, Skyvector etc. are great for the big picture as well as good for 'real-time' forecasting (i.e. you can see where the rain has passed). If training in the UK, MetOffice weather is what you should expect to find on the walls of the planning facility.

Nurse2Pilot
23rd Oct 2018, 21:47
I think I should clarify that I'm not exactly looking for sources to be used for flight planning for the day of the flight, though that would definitely be appreciated. I'm looking for a more long-term forecast, ie a week or two ahead, maybe even more, so that I can plan which days gives me the best chances of being able to fly.

Auxtank
23rd Oct 2018, 21:50
I think I should clarify that I'm not exactly looking for sources to be used for flight planning for the day of the flight, though that would definitely be appreciated. I'm looking for a more long-term forecast, ie a week or two ahead, maybe even more, so that I can plan which days gives me the best chances of being able to fly.

Well, for the UK then this is your best bet (as others have already stated);

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/long-range-forecast