Anyone use Stormscope in the UK?

[ForceTrim]

Hi All,

Has anyone got experience of using Stormscope in the UK (Scotland) and I specifically mean Stormscope and not Wx Radar. Would like to hear your views and opinions on it. How useful is it for typical UK weather?

FT

[airseb]

i used it in training on a be58 in northern france (which weatherwise gets quite close to england). what i remember is that you had to have really active cells to detect anything and you were more or less already in the cb when the screen was lighting up. but at least you had an idea of the really central part of the convective system and you could avoid that.
so i guess it depends on you're operation and what it requires regarding all weather flying (I don't know scotland)

seb

[Mercenary Pilot]

I agree with Seb, I was using a brand new system while flying IFR on the airways, and often it was so late in identifying cells that I had already decided to change heading based on what I could see with my eyes and from Wx reports from the radar equipped aircraft in the area.

If you have had a decent Wx brief and you understand TS/CB development then a stormscope can come in handy to confirm where you think the cells are but I certainly wouldn't use it in the same way as I use weather radar.

Scotland has some of the most challenging Wx conditions around. Personally I would take any equipment you can get but a top quality MET data/briefing system would be cash better spent and if money or aircraft compatability is no object I would take the radar.

Best regards

MP

[Kiltie]

I've operated both WX-8 and WX-10 Stormscopes IMC in Scotland for the last 13 years. They look impressive when you run the test function; that's about all they're good for.

Never seen anything paint on them yet. You would need considerable electrical lightning activity to activate them which is a rare occurence up here.

[Itswindyout]

Stormscope

Have one installed in a GV.......and have photos showing vast lightning returns, and the associated radar pictures, with the cells displayed.
The Lightning display on my WX radar, also showed the problem.

In BKK recently, a solid wall of lightning was displayed, whilst still on ground, which wx radar would not have detected. So able to rethink departure.

Great toy, but like all toys, you need to validate it, to be able to have confidence in it.

iwo

[ForceTrim]

Thanks for the replies, would much prefer Wx Radar but not approved for the aircraft yet, hence thinking of Stormscope as an alternative.

FT

[bookworm]

The Lightning display on my WX radar, also showed the problem

How does a wx radar display lightning? Isn't this just a display of the stormscope data superimposed on the radar data?