PPL Weather - To fly or not to fly?

[Gertrude the Wombat]

What do others do with respect to personal minima vs possible (rather than probable) forecast weather?

Look out of the window. Compare the METAR to the TAF. Go to the airport and talk to people who've already been flying.

And then there's experience and local knowledge. Round here usually when the forecast contains something like G27 it doesn't actually happen, so I don't let that forecast put me off until I've seen some actual evidence of real gusts.

But on more than one occasion I've turned up at the club to find that nobody has been flying yet today (only lessons booked, no PPL hire, and the weather was too bad for lessons so they were all cancelled). So there's nobody to tell me what it's really like. So after I've been flying I get to tell the instructors (or ATC on occasion) what it's really like.

On one occasion I flew a circuit, then asked for a low level circuit the second time, so ATC asked me where the cloud was. "Well, there's some down here (at 600'), but not very much." Neither the TAF nor the METAR had cloud at 600' or I wouldn't have taken off - but I did have a Plan B, I had the approach plates to hand and I knew where there was a diversion airfield with better weather.

[phiggsbroadband]

Whilst learning to fly PPL and Gliding, I used to cram in as many lessons in a week as possible, which meant accepting some challenging weather conditions.


However one day the wind was given as 12kts straight down the runway 05, which seemed Ok at the time. However when we had done the power checks, and were at the runway holding point, we were told 'LR cleared for take-off, wind 090 degrees 15kts gusting 20kts'... Although that was marginally within limits, we decided to cancel, as it could have got even windier in the next hour. So we made a quick U turn and RTB. That was the closest I got to flying but didn't.


Nowadays as a PPL, myself and others can wait for Gin-clear days, when my passengers can get some good photos. Some light aircraft owners also wait for non-turbulent days, as they prefer not to be thrown around the sky by thermal action.

[150 Driver]

This thread shows how much Instructors can vary.

On one of my lessons - about halfway through my PPL with an old school, massively experienced Instructor we were returning to base from a Navex when a local rain shower was soaking the airfield and two miles around it whilst everywhere else was dry. Quite windy and therefore obvious it was going to blow through.

I was asked - 'Imagine you're in charge, what do you do ?'. Answered that I'd bimble around bit and wait for it to clear.

He then said 'Right answer, but I have control, watch and learn'. We flew through it. I learned a lot - mostly that I'd still prefer my answer !

[rnzoli]

Originally Posted by 150 Driver

He then said 'Right answer, but I have control, watch and learn'. We flew through it. I learned a lot - mostly that I'd still prefer my answer !

Same here! After returning from a cross-country training flight, the wind got stronger and changed direction at our uncontrolled airfield, so I wanted to build up a circuit opposite to what we used for takeoff, in order to avoid turbulence from nearby hills and a fair amount of tailwind developing since then. But my experienced instructor said it would be too long taxi back to hangars, he will show me how to do this, he takes the controls, I just stay on to feel what he is doing.

In the process of landing, the gusts threw us around in the cockpit like never before, a huge fight on the control ensued, and a rather high landing speed. When we landed successfully, I remarked that it was a great show, but I would still chose the opposite circuit direction next time. My instructor laughed and said "I realized that I should have done that now too!"

[fireflybob]

My observation is that most pilots do not fully check and interpret all the forecasts which include F215, F214, TAFs etc.

The Rainfall Radar picture is also very useful.

This is because they are often not taught how to do this.

Obviously one should also look upwind before departure (especially in shower situations).

However just because it looks ok at the moment doesn't mean you should go flying - if the forecast shows a worsening trend it's common sense to take that into account.

[Pace]

I think its your experience level, the aircraft and your ability which determines what are your warning pointers when looking at weather from anything from non aviation forecasts to TAFS METARS etc or good old instincts knowledge and the mark one eyeball.

I know with my own flying there are specific NO NOs but they are short

If there are strong winds forecast you look into those in more detail, wind direction runway etc even terrain for turbulence shear.

Fog at destination is the main show stopper so you then look at fuel alternatives etc
In non deiced/anti ice aircraft, cloud base freezing levels etc

Always specific warning pointers

Pace