Thanks Brom......didn't know about the selected airfield concept with tempo's with no period given in metars (baffled me, since a 2 hour tempo given in a 30 minut period metar would defeat the purpose. I've heard of tendancies and speci's on metar, but never of an forecast. Thought that was the purpose of Taf's). Hey, I learned something new :ok:

Lokon, I could, but I wouldn't want to sound like I'm questioning them, I'm sure they had good reason and were within limits; the front was very well forecasted. I sometimes see the pilots in the EGSY cafe so I may ask them then. When I lost sight they could have landed as they would have had 5 minutes before the squall line hit.

hmmm tries hard to remember minima from paom.....

congested area: daytime.... 600' agl and 1000 metres visibility :bored:
however.. its late and i'm a few stellas into the evening:E

Anywhooo for our fixed wing friends; being sat in the hover in 40 kt winds is similar to sitting in washing machine at 1000' and wearing crash helmet.
Its apparently quite hard work for the pilot too.???:}

Bananaskiner,

Close on the minima's, I believe for congested area by night 600' 5km viz, reduced to 2km with CAA exemption, 500' msd withing 1km. Therefore the only cause for concern would be the viz on the aforementioned metar. Not forgetting the small detail of the Pennines, Fohn effect, etc. If the author of this thread was so interested in the weather over Sheffield why didnt he get the TAF/Metar from Doncaster (EGCN) which would have given him more accurate information???? Just a small point i thought i would raise.

FF, I think Doncaster stops reporting METARs after a certain hour, also in a way EGCN weather is not accurate for Sheffield which is really the edge of the Pennines whereas Doncaster is part of the flatlands.

Should also say my observing position is high on one of the westerly hills of Sheffield looking east over the city - so when the bad wx closed in on me (temp dropped from 7C->1C, hail followed by snow) and I lost sight of the helicopter they would still have had ~5 minutes before it reached the city centre.

Anyway, my main reason for posting was being so impressed that the thing could be up there - and after all the info I remain so:) Just wish I could afford to learn to fly rotary myself!

I admire your desire to learn to fly rotary.....

Remember if rotary flying was easy, all fixed wing pilots would do it.....................

MRWELLINTON

The TREND at the end of some METARS is a more accurate forcast and as such overules the TAF for the 2 hour period. Nice to know when you have a crap TAF.