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 good pilots, we're all in this together.

Aero-Tips 01.25.06

In my second Aero-Craft podcast we explored the concept of "Categorical Outlook Flying,"  a technique for preflight and in-flight go/no-go weather decision making. As review, and as introduction to those who have not yet heard the podcast, here is what is meant by Categorical Outlook.

Categorical Outlooks describe general ceiling and visibility conditions. All are used in Area Forecasts (except LIFR, which is now used only on supplemental weather products). The "categories" of weather are:

1. VFR: more correctly, Visual Meteorological Conditions, or VMC, "visual" conditions include a ceiling of 3000 feet or higher and visibility greater than five miles.
2. MVFR, or Marginal VFR, denotes a ceiling from 1000 to 3000 feet and/or visibility from three to five miles.
3. IFR weather, more accurately Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) means the ceiling is 500 to 1000 feet and/or visibility is from one to three miles.
4. LIFR, or Low IFR, describes a ceiling less than 500 feet and/or visibility less than one mile.

If MVFR, IFR or LIFR conditions result from ceilings, the contraction CIG appears in the Categorical Outlook (example: "MVFR CIG"). If it’s visibility that categorizes the weather, then the restriction to visibility is included in the Outlook (example; "IFR FG" [fog]). Many reports will include both. Also, if surface winds or gusts are 25 knots or greater the Categorical Outlook will include the word WIND (example: "VFR WIND").

Aero-tip of the day: Know the proper definitions and compare them to your capabilities and those of your airplane, using the technique of Categorical Outlook Flying.

FMI: Aero-Tips