When will it improve?
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Join Date: Sep 2003
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When will it improve?
Hi all
Iv been waiting for over 2 weeks now to do my first solo Nav ex because the weather has been terrible.
I was wondering if someone could give me a rough estimate of when it starts to improve each year? (UK weather)
Feb has been the worst month so far by far.
Cheers
Dave
Iv been waiting for over 2 weeks now to do my first solo Nav ex because the weather has been terrible.
I was wondering if someone could give me a rough estimate of when it starts to improve each year? (UK weather)
Feb has been the worst month so far by far.
Cheers
Dave
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Savannah GA & Portsmouth UK
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It's very simple. The weather improves dramatically if any of the following apply:-
1. The aircraft has gone tech.
2. Your mother-in-law is having a lunch party.
3. The tanks are empty and the fuel bowser has broken down.
4. All the aircraft slots are fully booked.
5. It is the weekend that you promised your wife/partner that you would without fail redecorate the bathroom.
No doubt others more worthy than I will be able to expand on this list for you.
Mike
1. The aircraft has gone tech.
2. Your mother-in-law is having a lunch party.
3. The tanks are empty and the fuel bowser has broken down.
4. All the aircraft slots are fully booked.
5. It is the weekend that you promised your wife/partner that you would without fail redecorate the bathroom.
No doubt others more worthy than I will be able to expand on this list for you.
Mike
Join Date: Jan 1999
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I had a total of 28 X-C details scrubbed due to WX and it took over 8 months to get from the first navex to the last !.
On reflection I can see the problems with letting students off solo in all but the best of weather but at the time I was to say the least pi$$ed off.
On reflection I can see the problems with letting students off solo in all but the best of weather but at the time I was to say the least pi$$ed off.
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Sounds to me like you are the wrong side of the Sellafield pond!
Over here in the Emerald Isle lots of students are enjoying the lovely spring weather (14 Deg. C Sunny today,Wind 3-4 Knots)
Over here in the Emerald Isle lots of students are enjoying the lovely spring weather (14 Deg. C Sunny today,Wind 3-4 Knots)
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A and C
This is slightly off at a tangent, but don't you feel there is just a slight contradiction between the superb conditions in which a student is permitted to go off on a QXC, and the conditions he will be allowed to fly in legally (e.g. 3km vis) just a few flying fours later?
I know a man who waited 6 months (through a beautiful if hazy summer) for his QXC, and another who waited several months for his skills test flight!!
This speaks volumes about the inadequacy of the PPL syllabus and is a major reason why nearly all new PPLs pack it in so early.
Few instructors/schools will admit this because nobody in the trade wants to see a higher price tag next to the "PPL" item on their price list, and anyway there is little or no money to be made out of somebody who has their PPL.
This is slightly off at a tangent, but don't you feel there is just a slight contradiction between the superb conditions in which a student is permitted to go off on a QXC, and the conditions he will be allowed to fly in legally (e.g. 3km vis) just a few flying fours later?
I know a man who waited 6 months (through a beautiful if hazy summer) for his QXC, and another who waited several months for his skills test flight!!
This speaks volumes about the inadequacy of the PPL syllabus and is a major reason why nearly all new PPLs pack it in so early.
Few instructors/schools will admit this because nobody in the trade wants to see a higher price tag next to the "PPL" item on their price list, and anyway there is little or no money to be made out of somebody who has their PPL.
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I can guarantee you that you will check the weather forecast on the Friday night before you are scheduled for a few circuits and decide that there is no hope. You will consume a large curry and a few pints of Scruttock's Old Dirigible. the next morning your mobile will wake you at daybreak and an instructor will inform you that the weather is exected to be clear for the next twelve hours so it's 'GO GO GO!!!'.
You will arrive at the field with enough coloured pens to sink a battle ship.
Another FTO will stick a tupperware trainer in a field and you will have to wait four hours until you can fill your tanks in case it was a problem with fuel.
You will have a forty five minute hold before take off because half the wannabe PPLs in the country have had the same phone call.
You will arrive at the first landing with a poor idea of your own name, let alone corrrect joining procedure.
On the way to the second landing several stations will ask you about the weather. YOu will ponder the significance of the big black cloud to the north.
At the second landing you will consume one cup of coffeee. On taxi out you will be told that the wind has changed 180 and perhaps you'd like to backtrack. Yo will do so and be looking into the biggest Charlie Bravo you've ever seen. You will nip back to the tie down point and lash the Cessna to the ground as raindrops the size of housebricks plummet to the ground.
The storm will clear just as it becomes hopeless to try for your home field within licensed hours (No PPL so you can't go later).
You will check with the school that the CAA do allow an overnight stop if weather forces it, but no one must touch the plane in between flights.
You will cadge a lift back to the home field, get your car, go home, get up, go to the second landing, get the plane, scud run back to base and qualify.
You will take the rest of the day to get your car back.
You will vow to get an IMC rating as soon as possible after you qualify.
Apart from that it should all be fine.
I'm told that August should mark the end of the storm season, but the weather has been pretty weird of late: I mean to say 15 C in Janauary !!
You will arrive at the field with enough coloured pens to sink a battle ship.
Another FTO will stick a tupperware trainer in a field and you will have to wait four hours until you can fill your tanks in case it was a problem with fuel.
You will have a forty five minute hold before take off because half the wannabe PPLs in the country have had the same phone call.
You will arrive at the first landing with a poor idea of your own name, let alone corrrect joining procedure.
On the way to the second landing several stations will ask you about the weather. YOu will ponder the significance of the big black cloud to the north.
At the second landing you will consume one cup of coffeee. On taxi out you will be told that the wind has changed 180 and perhaps you'd like to backtrack. Yo will do so and be looking into the biggest Charlie Bravo you've ever seen. You will nip back to the tie down point and lash the Cessna to the ground as raindrops the size of housebricks plummet to the ground.
The storm will clear just as it becomes hopeless to try for your home field within licensed hours (No PPL so you can't go later).
You will check with the school that the CAA do allow an overnight stop if weather forces it, but no one must touch the plane in between flights.
You will cadge a lift back to the home field, get your car, go home, get up, go to the second landing, get the plane, scud run back to base and qualify.
You will take the rest of the day to get your car back.
You will vow to get an IMC rating as soon as possible after you qualify.
Apart from that it should all be fine.
I'm told that August should mark the end of the storm season, but the weather has been pretty weird of late: I mean to say 15 C in Janauary !!
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Dave
Just sit it out and wait matey, all times of the year brings their own problems when concerned with weather, Jan/Feb can boast beautiful clear days just as the summer months, and both the winter and summer can give you horrible misty murky days, theres nothing worse in the summer when you think its a nice clear day and then when you take off you have to deal with crappy inversion layers and high humidity, i did mine in the middle of summer and it was one of the best days of the year but i guess i got lucky, you cant beat a beautiful crisp frosty morning in Jan/Feb to do your QCC.
Hang in there mate, be patient and when the time is right you will have the best time of your flying career to date
D.
Just sit it out and wait matey, all times of the year brings their own problems when concerned with weather, Jan/Feb can boast beautiful clear days just as the summer months, and both the winter and summer can give you horrible misty murky days, theres nothing worse in the summer when you think its a nice clear day and then when you take off you have to deal with crappy inversion layers and high humidity, i did mine in the middle of summer and it was one of the best days of the year but i guess i got lucky, you cant beat a beautiful crisp frosty morning in Jan/Feb to do your QCC.
Hang in there mate, be patient and when the time is right you will have the best time of your flying career to date
D.
The Original Whirly
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don't you feel there is just a slight contradiction between the superb conditions in which a student is permitted to go off on a QXC, and the conditions he will be allowed to fly in legally (e.g. 3km vis) just a few flying fours later?
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For Dave
DAVE
This Wednesday coming 18 th February 2004 the conditions look ideal for XC NAV no matter where ever you are in the UK.
180204
PRESSURE HIGH
WIND BELOW 5Kn
TEMP 10-15C
CLOUD MIN.HIGH
INCLEMENTATION NIL
VISIBILITY MAX
I would book early P.M.
best of luck180204
This Wednesday coming 18 th February 2004 the conditions look ideal for XC NAV no matter where ever you are in the UK.
180204
PRESSURE HIGH
WIND BELOW 5Kn
TEMP 10-15C
CLOUD MIN.HIGH
INCLEMENTATION NIL
VISIBILITY MAX
I would book early P.M.
best of luck180204
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I was wondering if someone could give me a rough estimate of when it starts to improve each year?
The north of the Polar front is dominated by lows and the south dominated by highs. The lows and highs get all mixed up at the polar front causing lots of little cold and warm fronts to form, these occlude to make the weather even worse! Incidently, the jet stream snakes it's way between the highs and lows.
Once the ITCZ moves north again (it lags behind the actual position of the Sun by a few weeks) the polar front will move north again to about 65N and keep the crappy weather where it belongs. This process should start to have a noticable effect sometime around April(ish). I would have throught that mid-March(ish) the weather will be less changeable at least.
http://secure.metoffice.com/aviation...W_FSXX_T_0.gif
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Thursday/ Friday - thin cloud at high level, light winds, clear.
Saturday - 500ft cloudbase, rain all day, mist.
Sunday - 2500ft cloudbase, light winds, good vis.
Today - clear blue skies, nil wind, excellent vis.
Guess which day I had booked for a trip ?
The one thing you learn in UK aviation is patience.
Saturday - 500ft cloudbase, rain all day, mist.
Sunday - 2500ft cloudbase, light winds, good vis.
Today - clear blue skies, nil wind, excellent vis.
Guess which day I had booked for a trip ?
The one thing you learn in UK aviation is patience.
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When I started instructing last year, I asked one of the experienced instructors what the worst month for getting work was.
The answer, February.
It looks like I will chose my holidays around that time next year.
FIS.
The answer, February.
It looks like I will chose my holidays around that time next year.
FIS.
Supercharged PPRuNer
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I’ve lost count of wx cancellations, but it was something like 8 for the QXC and 14 for my last hour of solo XC. It’s as frustrating as hell, (and can happen any time of the year) but one of the joys of flying in the UK – you’ll just have to live with it.
The old cliche; “It’s better to be down here wishing you were up there than up there wishing you were down here” is never more true than when the weather gets nasty. You’ll have plenty enough to do as a solo student without having to worry about wx.
Imagine turning finals towards a south-west facing runway on a hazy winter’s afternoon, only to find that the nice airfield that was clear as a bell from the overhead has now disappeared, and you’re crawling along in yellowy-white soup.
Or arriving back from your QXC to discover that the wind that was straight down the runway a few hours ago is now gusting across it at 20kts.
Or getting back from a jolly round the local area to find the PROB 30 CB that was nowhere to be seen when you left is now sitting over the airfield.
Ask me how I know . . .
The old cliche; “It’s better to be down here wishing you were up there than up there wishing you were down here” is never more true than when the weather gets nasty. You’ll have plenty enough to do as a solo student without having to worry about wx.
Imagine turning finals towards a south-west facing runway on a hazy winter’s afternoon, only to find that the nice airfield that was clear as a bell from the overhead has now disappeared, and you’re crawling along in yellowy-white soup.
Or arriving back from your QXC to discover that the wind that was straight down the runway a few hours ago is now gusting across it at 20kts.
Or getting back from a jolly round the local area to find the PROB 30 CB that was nowhere to be seen when you left is now sitting over the airfield.
Ask me how I know . . .
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The simple answer (or the best one can do as a partial answer, because even a 747 can't go if the weather is bad enough) is to
1. get the IMC Rating,
2. get access to a decent plane,
3. keep current enough to be able to do the stuff you want to do.
None of this is terribly easy and none of it cheap. Not that flying is ever really cheap but being able to fly IFR certainly cannot be done on the cheap. Unless you are lucky to have access to decent self fly hire planes, you've either got to become an owner, or join a syndicate whose other members are a) interested in flying IFR and b) come up with the money readily if some instrument needs replacing. There are such groups around but very few, as I know well having spent ages looking before finally getting my own.
If you get really serious about European touring, you need a full IR and the FAA PPL/IR route, with a US registered plane, is the way to do that.
The alternative (remaining a straight PPL) simply means that you will not be able to fly perhaps several months each year, and most frustratingly will not be able to fly in hazy but otherwise beautiful summer days. Such days are difficult in respect of both aircraft control (no horizon) and navigation (PPL-style visual nav is awfully hard when you can't see much of the ground ahead), and then you've got to find the airfield
You can get a decent GPS but the lack of a horizon is still a problem.
I fly about 150hrs/year (IMC rated) and could easily do 10x that if I had nothing else to do. But as a PPL, 3/4 of the flights I have done in the last 12 months, and 90% of those done in the last 3 months, would not have been started, on a prudent view of the available weather info. Probably 90% of the 90% "cancelled" ones would have been somehow flyable "VFR" on a strictly legal definition but not on the PPL syllabus skills unless you were happy to take a lot of risk.
It's a pity the school doesn't tell you any of this before they take some £6k-8k off you for the PPL. But you wouldn't expect them to!
So that's the bottom line. Lots of PPLs are apparently happy with it. But then most people who get a PPL chuck flying in almost right away, and most of the rest fly very low hours, so it's hard to know...
1. get the IMC Rating,
2. get access to a decent plane,
3. keep current enough to be able to do the stuff you want to do.
None of this is terribly easy and none of it cheap. Not that flying is ever really cheap but being able to fly IFR certainly cannot be done on the cheap. Unless you are lucky to have access to decent self fly hire planes, you've either got to become an owner, or join a syndicate whose other members are a) interested in flying IFR and b) come up with the money readily if some instrument needs replacing. There are such groups around but very few, as I know well having spent ages looking before finally getting my own.
If you get really serious about European touring, you need a full IR and the FAA PPL/IR route, with a US registered plane, is the way to do that.
The alternative (remaining a straight PPL) simply means that you will not be able to fly perhaps several months each year, and most frustratingly will not be able to fly in hazy but otherwise beautiful summer days. Such days are difficult in respect of both aircraft control (no horizon) and navigation (PPL-style visual nav is awfully hard when you can't see much of the ground ahead), and then you've got to find the airfield
You can get a decent GPS but the lack of a horizon is still a problem.I fly about 150hrs/year (IMC rated) and could easily do 10x that if I had nothing else to do. But as a PPL, 3/4 of the flights I have done in the last 12 months, and 90% of those done in the last 3 months, would not have been started, on a prudent view of the available weather info. Probably 90% of the 90% "cancelled" ones would have been somehow flyable "VFR" on a strictly legal definition but not on the PPL syllabus skills unless you were happy to take a lot of risk.
It's a pity the school doesn't tell you any of this before they take some £6k-8k off you for the PPL. But you wouldn't expect them to!
So that's the bottom line. Lots of PPLs are apparently happy with it. But then most people who get a PPL chuck flying in almost right away, and most of the rest fly very low hours, so it's hard to know...
Join Date: Jul 2001
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I was wondering if someone could give me a rough estimate of when it starts to improve each year? (UK weather)
