Weather Radar Pilot Information Manuals

[Centaurus]

Many years ago and following an inadvertent encounter in night IMC into a thunderstorm in the ITCZ in the Central Pacific in a 737, I realised how much I did not know about efficient use of airborne weather radar. Particularly the optimum use of the Gain control at high altitude on our specific radar.

Pilots of our small airline relied on Old Wives Tales on what to look for and thunderstorm avoidance techniques. Our company did not provide us with these radar manuals nor was use of weather avoidance radar in company aircraft flight manuals. In fact few of us knew that Pilots Manuals for weather avoidance radar even existed.

Then by chance I discovered the Collins Company had their Melbourne office just down the road from the flight simulator centre that we used. The local Collins salesman was only too pleased to give me for free the Collins latest radar manual called Collins WXR-700X Weather Radar System including Forward-Looking Windshear Pilot's Guide. The date on the manual was October 1994. That manual still has pride of place in my study.

I wondered if during type rating training for new airline pilots if weather radar manuals are handed out for each pilot to keep? Or are the students left to source their own manuals assuming they know they exist in the first place?

[bafanguy]

It may be dated now due to any later technological advances in airborne weather radar but a crew room acquaintance of mine wrote this manual years ago. I was good enough that I bought a few copies and gave them to friends. The detailed use of radar is not something I ever saw taught in any ground school I attended:

https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/airbor...&idiq=41358496

[bafanguy]

P.S. If you can find his articles, Robert Sumwalt wrote many good ones on the use of weather radar:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert...nment_official)

[albatross]

There was a course available on video tape in the early 90s.
Presenter was an American who was well known in the field.
A bit of a slog to get through ( about 6 hours best taken in 1 hour bites. )
I think the instructor did courses for airlines, USAF, USN and the RCAF.
Lots a good info.
Sorry, can’t remember his name.
Perhaps someone will remember it.

[extreme P]

Originally Posted by albatross

There was a course available on video tape in the early 90s.
Presenter was an American who was well known in the field.
A bit of a slog to get through ( about 6 hours best taken in 1 hour bites. )
I think the instructor did courses for airlines, USAF, USN and the RCAF.
Lots a good info.
Sorry, can’t remember his name.
Perhaps someone will remember it.

Archie Trammell?

[hikoushi]

Originally Posted by extreme P

Archie Trammell?

The Archie Trammel course was quite excellent for its time, and still holds its own today! Can’t tell you how often I see new pilots take our super-fancy multiscan radar out of “threat” mode and “go manual” with absolutely no idea what they are doing….. all the old techniques still work fine.

[albatross]

Originally Posted by hikoushi

The Archie Trammel course was quite excellent for its time, and still holds its own today! Can’t tell you how often I see new pilots take our super-fancy multiscan radar out of “threat” mode and “go manual” with absolutely no idea what they are doing….. all the old techniques still work fine.

In the offshore helicopter world we used Wx radar to do ARA/NDB IFR approaches with 1/2 mile mins to oil rigs, platforms and ships so you had to know how to run a radar.
Yes-the approaches were “Approved” we had plates, checklists and SOPs. Fun daze.
Range data and obstacle clearance was from the radar.