AV Web

JUNE 24, 2025

He must turn on his computer, check the weather, plan a flight, preflight the plane, sump fuel, do all the checklists … you get the idea. Somewhat counterintuitively, one of the least useful activities you can do is load up at your home airport with real weather, plan a flight you’ve flown a zillion times, and fly it in the sim.

Weather

Flying Magazine

MAY 27, 2025

There was an overcast at 1,300 agl (1,850 msl), but no precipitation and good visibility below the clouds. About two minutes after takeoff, it was at 2,900 msl with a heading of 090 and a ground speed of 200 knots, but the pilot had yet to check in with Nashville. It was in a 120-degree left bank when it hit the water at 350 knots.

Pilot

iPad Pilot News

JUNE 14, 2024

FAA Updates Datalink Weather Advisory Circular iPad Pilot News The rollout of ADS-B datalink weather over twelve years ago was an interesting time for GA pilots. The result was tangible, too, with weather-related fatal accidents steadily declining in the following years.

Weather

Plane and Pilot

NOVEMBER 27, 2024

FAA weather charts can help for higher altitudes but when just a few thousand feet agl, they may be less useful. Great Falls weather is fair and warm. It was all about the interaction of weather and terrain. Eighty-knot tailwinds aloft and higher-than-normal temperature difference between the surface and aloft.

Turbulence

Plane and Pilot

AUGUST 6, 2024

Maybe it’s the Georgia flying weather, or maybe it’s the ever-increasing emphasis on “old” pilot instead of “bold” pilot, but it seems that flight planning these days is a lot more about if and when than about route and altitude. But if I was going VFR over strange territory, I would want lots more than 1,000 feet agl.

Airplanes

Flight Training Central

FEBRUARY 17, 2024

AIM 5-3-3 ) Change in the average true airspeed (at cruising altitude) when it varies by 5 percent or 10 knots (whichever is greater) from that filed in the flight plan. ( What’s the difference between VFR, MVFR, IFR, and LIFR weather? These four categories of flight classify four separate weather conditions.

Instrument Flight Rules

Air Facts

SEPTEMBER 25, 2024

Before you write this off as some academic debate, remember that most mid-air collisions happen during the day, in good weather, in or near the traffic pattern. Again, the AFH has some good advice: “if large or turbine aircraft operate at the airport, it is best to remain 2,000 feet AGL so as not to conflict with their traffic pattern.”

Crosswind

Flying Magazine

MAY 15, 2024

Scenario 3: VFR into IFR If you read the accident reports the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) compiles, you will notice a lot are attributed in part to the pilot’s decision to continue VFR into deteriorating weather. In the ATD the scenario begins by having the pilot check the weather before takeoff. What could go wrong?

Crosswind

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 5, 2024

In aviation, staying ahead of the weather is a must. When weather conditions shift unexpectedly, that’s when a SPECI report comes in. A SPECI (or Special Report) offers a quick weather update between the routine METARs. Let’s explore how SPECIs are going to help you plan around unexpected weather twists.

Altimeter

Learn to Fly

MARCH 12, 2024

These “aviation routine weather reports” provide pilots with an accurate depiction of current weather conditions at an airport. Different sources will tell you this comes from METeorological Aerodrome Report, Meteorological Terminal Aviation Routine Weather Report, Meteorological Terminal Air Report, or Meteorological Airfield Report.

Weather

Pilot Institute

SEPTEMBER 26, 2024

Class C airports’ speed limits require aircraft within 4 Nautical Miles (NM) of the primary airport and below 2500 feet to maintain an Indicated Airspeed (IAS) of 200 knots or less. Maintain a maximum airspeed of 200 knots when within 4 NM of the airport and below 2500 feet. Altitude and intentions (e.g., landing or transition).

Clearance

Flying Magazine

APRIL 30, 2024

We flew in pursuit of good weather and photo backdrops not browned by the seasons, and headed south—nearly straight south—from Maryland to Florida by way of Hilton Head, South Carolina. But the engineering behind the G7 didn’t wring a few more knots from the carbon fiber airframe by tweaking fairings or FIKI panels.

Pilot

Chess In the Air

JULY 4, 2022

I have tried to wait out a storm only to watch a bigger and badder one to move in and the overall weather situation getting worse. We should make more pro-active use of our radios to warn other aviators of threatening weather. They are also not limited to summer soaring weather. Are dry microbursts really invisible?

Wind Shear

Pilot Institute

MAY 4, 2024

Weather, field conditions, obstacles, and many other elements greatly affect short field operations. In the Cessna 172S Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH), the landing distance decreases by 10% for every 9 knots of headwind. For the Cessna 172, landing distance increases by 10% for every 2 knots of tailwind.

Weight-Shift-Control

Pilot Institute

APRIL 24, 2024

From entry and weather requirements to interacting with ATC, we have you covered. Weather Requirements We find the VFR weather requirements in 14 CFR § 91.155. Class B airspace can afford looser weather requirements because ATC tracks traffic closely. This article makes Class B airspace easy to understand. Airport, CA.

Clearance

Universal Weather

JANUARY 24, 2025

or greater and/or max cruising true airspeed (TAS) greater than 250 knots (kts). Aircraft manufactured on or after 01-JAN-2020 and has an MTOW exceeding 12,566 lbs (5,700 kgs) or having a maximum cruising true airspeed (TAS) greater than 250 knots must have ADS-B (Out) 1090 MHz applicable to RTCA DO-260B.

True Airspeed

Pilot Institute

MARCH 26, 2024

If you’re at a field with no weather reporting, gauge the wind speed and direction using the windsock. If you’re not stabilized at 200 feet AGL, go around. On a normal landing, you’d pull the power over the threshold, begin your roundout, and flare around 10 feet AGL. The process is different for a soft field landing.

NOTAMs

Air Facts

MARCH 28, 2025

After checking the NOTAMS, the weather, and filing my flight plan, I stepped into the Intel Shop for my pre-mission briefing. It was a very close-up shot as the drone came in low and fast (500-1000 feet AGL at 500+ knots); the crew had no time to react, except to look up. The PDJ was a strategically significant region.

Airplanes

Universal Weather

APRIL 9, 2024

or greater and/or max cruising true airspeed (TAS) greater than 250 knots (kts). Aircraft manufactured on or after 01-JAN-2020 and has an MTOW exceeding 12,566 lbs (5,700 kgs) or having a maximum cruising true airspeed (TAS) greater than 250 knots must have ADS-B (Out) 1090 MHz applicable to RTCA DO-260B.

True Airspeed

Flying Magazine

MAY 1, 2024

Answer: When looking at the surface analysis chart issued every three hours by meteorologists at the Weather Prediction Center (WPC), you may have seen a tan dashed line with a label “OUTFLOW BNDRY” nearby. Crescent-shaped convective outflow boundary as detected on NEXRAD Doppler weather radar.

Wind Shear

Chess In the Air

JUNE 24, 2022

He frequently hosted visiting pilots, providing them with detailed briefings of the area and the weather. The CAPE index, a measure of convective energy and instability, was below 100 joules, indicating a very low probability of severe weather or thunderstorms. At this point he still had an altitude of 8,275 ft MSL, i.e. 2,739 ft AGL.

Pilot

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 2, 2024

I checked the weather by phone and was assured it would be great CAVU (ceiling and visibility unlimited) with 2-3-knot winds from 090 degrees. With nothing to lose, at a little over 1,000 feet agl, I started a turn to the left, looking for a place to land. I was to be the first to fly it since the checkup.

Threshold

Pilot Institute

JUNE 26, 2024

Weather Go-arounds due to weather occur due to wind shear caused by gusting winds or microbursts. The aircraft was 44 knots higher than its target landing speed, which resulted in a runway overrun. In IFR, retract flaps at the appropriate speed above 400ft AGL. Many passengers were injured.

Wind Shear