Small Met question
 

I'm having trouble getting info about the meaning of those six
digit nos in the metar and that "640000" in the TAF. Can't find
anything in the Jepps.

Can anybody help? I have a charter to Moscow coming up.

Thanks.

IIRC, they are just extra unimportant data. Something like pressure tendency, and the tenths of a degree for the temperatures

The six digits on the METAR are runway state messages and the one on the TAF is an icing forecast.

Runway state decode here:

RUNWAY STATE DECODE

TAF and METAR decode here:

METAR TAF DECODE

We operate daily to UUDD, normally pretty straight forward (for Russia) but ATC can be a bit of handful when busy and bad weather. Good at snow clearance and de-icing very slick, plenty of practice I guess.

PM me if you want some more info.

Actually I'd say 'Snowtams' are pretty important in Moscow! :bored:

Ooops Max beat me to it!

METAR decoder - Wx-Now

According to this decoder, it means ceiling unlimited:ugh:

Thanks for all your replies everyone - very much appreciated
indeed! :ok:

I understand now from those decode sites you all very kindly
provided. As you can guess I've never operated into DME. Ive
bunged those URLS into the iPad.

Max A - although the charter's been well planned I might PM
you if I perceive any trouble into or out of UUDD. Thanks for
the offer.

Thanks again to all. I owe ya's.

If you have an iPad get one of the many apps that can decode MOTNE codes and SNOWTAMs. For example Flight Kit or similar ones. Aeroweather can decode MOTNE codes as well.

UUDD is actually a pretty well organized airport and ATC quite competent usually. Only their radios suck and the loud background noises make it sometimes hard to understand. And they do have a tendency to bunch up their commands, usually cleared altitude, speed, direct to and a new frequency in one go. They also like to keep you low on departure with many small step climbs, on arrival they used to keep you way above your path but that got better in recent years.

so .. Max Angle, it means :

64 = RW14R
0 = clean and dry
0 = extent of contamination is non existence (?)
00 = depth of deposit is less than 1mm.

correct ?

Just to add, that from my (limited) experience of operating in Russia they often give you Forecast turbulence, and icing reports.

The decodes are in the Jepps. MET section>Aerodrome Weather Forecast-TAF Decode. In my copy page 223.

Hope that helps.

state group decoding:
64-RWY 14R
2- RWY deposits wet r water patches
9- Extent of RWY contamination 51%-100%
00- Depth of deposit less than 1 mm
95- Braking action GOOD.
:ok:

G'day Slasher,

Welcome to the wonderful world of Moscow. Domodedovo (Dead as a dodo) is fairly straight forward. However, keep your wits and fuel about you if there's been a sesh of Freezing rain. Moscow has run out of de-icing fluid before.

It's not unusual to have Fog and Thunderstorms on the same forecast. Covering their bets.

Take their braking action report with a grain of salt. (you can sprinkle that grain too. ;) ) Expect very slippery taxi ways. Often the runway ends aren't de-iced adequately.

I am sure you've got your visas etc all sorted. Be patient.... If you don't, expect to remain either on the a/c or in a holding area for about 2 hours. (Bloke has to take your passports etc to Sheremetyvo to get the visa)
Be wary about opening the doors without immigration being around. They don't like it.

Fuel. Take as much as possible. It's not unusual to get sudden delays because some govt big wig wants to fly.

It's now RVSM/feet down to 5000' then they leap into "metric height and QFE" for the last 5000' to the runway. :hmm:

Have a MOTNE decoder handy. ;)

Expect 90 degree intercepts for the ILS and expect to do the final turn yourself.

Expect to call "checks complete gear down". Although I can't remember if that's for Domodedovo or for Sheremetyevo.

Expect a million or so frequency changes before landing and just after take off.

Fly what was filed. If it's the "wrong runway" - ask early.

When asking for start and you get a "Flight plan not in system" or something like that. A couple of things. Immigration hasn't released the flight or you're too far down the screen. (Limited view of flights) If you suspect it's an immigration thing, get onto your handling agent ASAP.

Enjoy :ok:

Thanks everyone and you too Reddo! The charter has been
pushed back a few days which will allow me to digest a lot
more mentioned here.

The Company has sorted out our visas and a ground handling
mob (Avia but has no terminal at UUDD), as well as got temp
contaminated TO charts for 1/4 inch slush (14L/32R) just in
case, based on the forecast (but narrow) range of ZFWs and
expected FOB for the return trip.

I think I was selected because the only one in this mob with
any Russian experience at all is me, when I passed through
Sheremyetevo on an IL-62 yonks ago during Winter as a pax
(I should've kept my mouth shut!). That plus I haven't (yet)
slidded and skidded off any slushy snowed runways/taxiways
during any blizzardy bad night at PEK.