Updating Winds Aloft
 

First, thanx everyone for using this forum...it is full of interesting aviation knowledge, including the answers to some of my questions.

At my airline, I have asked the check airman, and I have looked online and cant' find an answer.

To fly most economically, we need accurate winds loaded into our FMS. IN the past, winds used to come out 0600/1200/1800/0000. Nowdays, winds are constantly being updated by all of us flying around and reporting them automatically.

Are the winds aloft info also being updated continuously? Every hour? Or are they still only updated on the old 6 hour schedule?

Thanx for any and all comments and information.

cliff
ANC

Having spent years economising on data link costs our outfit has finally decided uplinking the winds is a good thing and have just had a big push on us doing this. They tell us the update is indeed every 6 hours....at 1000/1600/2200/0400UTC.....:confused:

LIDO processes upper wind data/temps at 00:00z, 06:00z, 12:00z and 18:00z. The updates are available for up-link at 04:30z, 10:30z, 16:30z and 22:30z.

What is LIDO?

Do they get wind information continuously?

Why do they only update 4 times a day?

Thanx again!

cliff
ANC

You can get an idea here.

Anyone for 0500/1100/1700/2300Z ??


Without looking it up that was my guess. That would also be after the LIDO update so the times ^^ would fit into the LIDO update window.