Inflight Weather
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Inflight Weather
Hi all
I have searched and either I'm terrible at searching (a distinct possibility) or this hasn't been asked. Apologies if I've missed it.
Can any Australian pilots give me some useful advice on receiving weather, winds aloft, weather radar etc. at higher altitudes where there is no mobile reception. My aircraft has an XM subscription which is great for the US but useless here. No Garmin avionics, it's an IS&S system so something handheld that feeds the iPad would be what I'd need.
As an example, I was cruising along at FL360 the other day, beating into 120kt headwinds (80 more than forecast) and only had 2 hour old data on my iPad so didn't know if I should try higher or lower,
Is there a way to achieve this reliably that doesn't cost a bomb?
And as an aside, why don't we get XM in Australia?
Thanks in advance.
I have searched and either I'm terrible at searching (a distinct possibility) or this hasn't been asked. Apologies if I've missed it.
Can any Australian pilots give me some useful advice on receiving weather, winds aloft, weather radar etc. at higher altitudes where there is no mobile reception. My aircraft has an XM subscription which is great for the US but useless here. No Garmin avionics, it's an IS&S system so something handheld that feeds the iPad would be what I'd need.
As an example, I was cruising along at FL360 the other day, beating into 120kt headwinds (80 more than forecast) and only had 2 hour old data on my iPad so didn't know if I should try higher or lower,
Is there a way to achieve this reliably that doesn't cost a bomb?
And as an aside, why don't we get XM in Australia?
Thanks in advance.
Be thankful you had a 2-hour-old forecast. There's hundreds of airfields out here that don't even get a forecast, yet alone a decent TAF. But to answer your question, so far as I'm aware, there's nothing available to us down here like you can get in the US. No uplinked NEXRAD, no FIS-B'd METAR's, down here there's zero, zip, nada!
About your only possible option would be some kind of SATCOM/Iridium data subscription to access the latest BOM winds-aloft charts, but even then, they can be upto 3 hours old.
About your only possible option would be some kind of SATCOM/Iridium data subscription to access the latest BOM winds-aloft charts, but even then, they can be upto 3 hours old.
Sounds like you need a navigator, old buddy!
Are you seriously telling me that the "continuous intellectual pursuit" that I was told was modern piloting is simply you sitting there waiting for your "XM subscription" to tell you what to do next?
Please advise for who you work, so I can avoid booking your airline.
Are you seriously telling me that the "continuous intellectual pursuit" that I was told was modern piloting is simply you sitting there waiting for your "XM subscription" to tell you what to do next?
Please advise for who you work, so I can avoid booking your airline.
Welcome to one of the few developing countries where it is safe to drink the tap water.
If you need REAL TIME wind updates I suggest the only option is calling other aircraft.
I find that our flight plan winds are accurate and provide options above and below our planned crusing level.
As mentioned above, check with your flight planning service.
If you need REAL TIME wind updates I suggest the only option is calling other aircraft.
I find that our flight plan winds are accurate and provide options above and below our planned crusing level.
As mentioned above, check with your flight planning service.
Two things,
1/. ATC have GRIB winds available through Eurocat which are routinely updated, and they could ask other aircraft operating at different levels in the vicinity.
2/. Did you tell ATC? PIREP so that BOM would receive an update.
1/. ATC have GRIB winds available through Eurocat which are routinely updated, and they could ask other aircraft operating at different levels in the vicinity.
2/. Did you tell ATC? PIREP so that BOM would receive an update.
In general, the higher you go, the stronger the winds. I thought anyone who flies in the flight levels would know that by experience?
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Sounds like you need a navigator, old buddy!
Are you seriously telling me that the "continuous intellectual pursuit" that I was told was modern piloting is simply you sitting there waiting for your "XM subscription" to tell you what to do next?
Please advise for who you work, so I can avoid booking your airline.
Are you seriously telling me that the "continuous intellectual pursuit" that I was told was modern piloting is simply you sitting there waiting for your "XM subscription" to tell you what to do next?
Please advise for who you work, so I can avoid booking your airline.
I fly for myself, often by myself, and as “tossbag” stated, there’s slim likelihood of you ever getting anywhere near my aircraft so consider my airline successfully avoided!
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Many thanks, I’ll check it out.
What do you use for flight planning software? We use an iPad based app at my work and it’s generally pretty accurate
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Thank you Missy. Stupidly, I did not tell ATC, I should have.
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Adam, to answer your last question. Even XM weather in the US market is not economically viable. XM piggyback their wx service on the back of the more lucrative XM Music subscription service. Such a music service would not be viable in Australia based on satellite.
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That’s interesting, thank you.
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The only GA unit I know of is a Garmin GSR56 which enables the following (quoted from the website)
I have used this - but the plans are very expensive
Global weather and communication tools enhance flight safety with access on compatible displays
Services include graphical radar imagery, METARs, TAFs and more
2-way text/voice communication keeps you in touch anywhere
All-inclusive rate plans with weather, voice and text start at $80 per month
Pairing a GTN™ or GTN Xi series navigator and Flight Stream 510 enables wireless text and voice calling from a mobile device
Services include graphical radar imagery, METARs, TAFs and more
2-way text/voice communication keeps you in touch anywhere
All-inclusive rate plans with weather, voice and text start at $80 per month
Pairing a GTN™ or GTN Xi series navigator and Flight Stream 510 enables wireless text and voice calling from a mobile device