Sun, Apr 30, 2006
Aero-Tips!
A good pilot is always learning -- how many times have you heard
this old standard throughout your flying career? There is no truer
statement in all of flying (well, with the possible exception of
"there are no old, bold pilots.") It's part of what makes aviation
so exciting for all of us... just when you think you've seen it
all, along comes a scenario you've never imagined.
Aero-News has called upon the expertise of Thomas P. Turner,
master CFI and all-around-good-guy, to bring our readers -- and us
-- daily tips to improve our skills as aviators, and as
representatives of the flying community. Some of them, you may have
heard before... but for each of us, there will also be something we
might never have considered before, or something that didn't
"stick" the way it should have the first time we memorized it for
the practical test.
It is our unabashed goal that "Aero-Tips" will help our readers
become better, safer pilots -- as well as introducing our
ground-bound readers to the concepts and principles that keep those
strange aluminum-and-composite contraptions in the air... and allow
them to soar magnificently through it.
Look for our daily Aero-Tips segments, coming each day to you
through the Aero-News Network. Suggestions for future Aero-Tips are
always welcome, as are additions or discussion of each day's tips.
Remember... when it comes to being better pilots, we're all in this
together.
Aero-Tips 04.30.06
METARs (short for METeorological Aerodrome
Reports) are the primary aviation weather observation
taken at airports.
What you really need to know
Once you know how to
decode METARs or can access
plain-language reports, here’s what you need to know about
METARs:
- METARs report observed weather within five nautical
miles of the reporting point (although they may report
“distant” lightning or cumulus build-ups).
- METARs are issued are reporting points at or about 50
minutes past each hour
- Collection and dissemination of METAR data takes 10 to 20
minutes. Hence you can expect to receive new METAR
data by about 10 minutes past each hour (this is true for
in-cockpit weather uplinks as well).
- Special-issue METARs are issued as needed when
conditions change dramatically between normal reporting
times. These, too, will take 10 to 20 minutes to be
available in a weather briefing or uplink.
- The longer it’s been since a METAR observation,
the less accurately it reflects current weather.
Aero-tip of the day: There’s a lot
more to know about METARs than simply how to decode the
information. Know when METARs are issued, and how accurate you
can expect them to be.
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