Help with learning weather (Noob here)

[PondJumper]

What's up guys? I am working my way through Private Pilot, and have my first stage check in about a week. I have been told to expect a lot of questions on weather. I have spent a bit of the day looking over aviationweather.gov, and clearly see that I have much to learn about reading Sigmets, Airmets, TARs, etc.

 

It is a boat load of info to retain. I want to go through my first stage looking more like a hero than a zero. So, my question is does anyone know of any training software (possibly interactive) that can keep learning this stuff from being so painful? Did you guys just suck it up and memorize it the hard way? Any links, or tips would be awesome.

 

Thanks

[Fred0311]

Pilots handbook of aeronautical knowledge is free on the faa web site faa-h-8083-25a is its book number chapters 11 & 12. You should probably have one anyway and it worked fine for me.

[eagle5]

Reading TAFs and Metars isn't really as bad as it looks. A lot of the abreviations can be reasoned through, like BKN, OVC, -RA, TS, PROB40 (broken, overcast, light rain, thunderstorms, 40% probability) if you really look at them they're not that difficult. Some others like BR (mist) you'll need to memorize, but just transcribe a bunch and you'll get the hang of it.

 

I never actually memorized the Sigmets and Airmets. I figured I would never be reading a weather report while flying so why bother(I have them on my kneeboard just in case though), and on the ground checking weather I see no reason why I can't just pull out my "decoder" if I find myself stumped on something.

 

You want to impress your CFI on this first stage check show him that you can competantly call for a briefing,...another thing that just takes practice!

[Gomer Pylot]

There are no shortcuts. There is a lot to learn, and you have to learn it. Some learn faster than others, but you either learn it or you quit. Everyone learns differently, so you have to use whatever works best for you, but in the end you have to grind it out one way or another.

[KBayDog]

In addition to studying the source pubs, the Air Safety Institute at AOPA has a few interactive courses that might help you with some "prac app" of what you've learned in the books. http://www.aopa.org/asf/

 

(FWIW, I've never been a member of AOPA - they just have some good resources for pilots.)

 

Keep pressing with your training. The juice is very, very much worth the squeeze.

[mrkik]

Flash Cards! I find them very interactive and efficient.

 

I also recommend just picking a weather service product (whether it be a METAR or Weather Depiction Chart) and just look at it. Try to read the symbols and if you get stuck, look it up and keep trying. Depending how your flight schools stage checks are set up, don't be afraid to look it up during the check either.

[Pohi]

Get the aero weather app. Read/ decode a bunch. Plus it will be very useful for later.

 

 

[kodoz]

What Pohi said. Also, there's the Aviation Weather Services AC that will flesh out many of the weather products. The AIM also has an extensive discussion about the flight briefing.

 

All that said, first stage check, I'd be happy if you could make a go/no-go decision on making your first solo flight by looking at the current METAR, the METAR trend, and a TAF if one is available (all from aviationweather.gov), plus checking NOTAMs and TFRs (from whatever source your CFI deigns appropriate). Save the rest of it for when you're starting to do cross-country flight planning--you have enough to learn in your first 20 hours of training.

[Rotortramp]

Flash Cards! I find them very interactive and efficient.

 

I also recommend just picking a weather service product (whether it be a METAR or Weather Depiction Chart) and just look at it. Try to read the symbols and if you get stuck, look it up and keep trying. Depending how your flight schools stage checks are set up, don't be afraid to look it up during the check either.

 

Just to add on to mrkik's post, here is a website that has virtual flash cards www.funnelbrain.com

 

You can make your own and focus on the areas you struggle with. It may not be as effective as physically writing it out, but it's a step in the right direction.

 

If you search for "FAA Knowledge Test", their is a deck with 400+ cards I think. I'm not sure if they are all 100% accurate, but good nonetheless.

 

 

EDIT: There are also good resources on youtube. Maybe not complete courses per say, but a lot of good individual videos on certain topics. Ex: What are fronts, how does icing occur, etc.

[BH206L3]

Reading the METAR's And TAF's take practice, You should be doing it every day. After a bit you get the hang of it. I learned how to fly long before the METAR and TAF change. Thou in this day and age, its seems moot with what you can do with you iPhone and an App like FreeFlight. But get yourself a Duat Account and pick a couple of airports every days several times a day and just read them, use book and needed and you will learn the short hand. Not hard. Lots of weather stuff on line,

[DeLtaFoxY]

high pressure good, low pressure bad

[brettjeepski]

here is an advisory circular that is free from faa site or you can buy it from your local pilot shop.

http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC%2000-45F.pdf

[THE_COYOTE]

Its one thing to memorize the text and acronyms, but I recommend putting the weather in to context. Is it truly flyable or not, what type of flying are you doing?Ect. To pass the test you have to do the rote crap. To stay alive you need to understand what the reports are telling you and if you and your aircraft can handle it. Good luck!

[Nomad110]

What's up guys? I am working my way through Private Pilot, and have my first stage check in about a week. I have been told to expect a lot of questions on weather. I have spent a bit of the day looking over aviationweather.gov, and clearly see that I have much to learn about reading Sigmets, Airmets, TARs, etc.

 

It is a boat load of info to retain. I want to go through my first stage looking more like a hero than a zero. So, my question is does anyone know of any training software (possibly interactive) that can keep learning this stuff from being so painful? Did you guys just suck it up and memorize it the hard way? Any links, or tips would be awesome.

 

Thanks

 

I am a big fan of the King School materials. I scored a 100% on the written thanks to them and the oral went easily. They provide tons of handy mnemonic devices but you will sound like a lunatic saying these weird acronyms in an oral exam. "Who are you calling a CAMAFOOTSGOALT!"

[eagle5]

CAMAFOOTSGOALT

 

[FormerRaft]

A buddy of mine suggested this method...YMMV...put up whatever weather charts/info you desire to learn on your fridge, or on the door where you will see every day on the way out to work and on the way home....quiz yourself on the chart !st thing in the morning, and then as soon as you get home from work for the day...speak the answer out loud to the wall...don't know why speaking it out loud helps, but it does....

Good luck w it....--))

[Nomad110]

 

I swear it's a real thing. Haha.

[PondJumper]

Thanks for all the tips and resources guys. I've been checking and asf.org, and taking the interactive courses. They are quite good in fact.

[eagle5]

I swear it's a real thing. Haha.

 

What does it stand for?

[rodrop]

Required VFR Equipment C Compass A Airspeed indicator M Manifold pressure A Altimeter F Fuel gage O Oil temperature O Oil pressure T Tachometers (engine and rotor) S Seatbelts

 

R22/R44 required equipment (POH) G Governor O Outside air temperature gage A Alternator L Low rotor RPM warning system (light and horn) T Electric or hydraulic trim (R44 only)

 

Here is a good link from one of my favorite vertical reference posters (hmmm)

http://wikirfm.cyclicandcollective.net/ground-lessons/acronymns-and-mnemonics/

[eagle5]

Ours was a bit more ellaberate,...and included some airplane stuff for some reason?

 

Manafold pressure gage

Altimeter

Tempurature gage (for liquid cooled engines)

Sholder harness

Fuel gage

Oil pressure

Oil tempurature

Landing gear light

Magnetic compas

Airspeed indicator

Tachometer (engine)

Seatbelt

 

Fuse (spare)

Landing light (one if the flight is for hire)

Anticollision light

Position lights

Electric source (alternator)

 

Even then these still leave out things, like; floatation device and pirotecnic signaling device for operating over water! My CFI also used RALF instead of AROW,...you can go crazy with all the acronyms we have!

[Spike]

What's up guys? I am working my way through Private Pilot, and have my first stage check in about a week. I have been told to expect a lot of questions on weather. I have spent a bit of the day looking over aviationweather.gov, and clearly see that I have much to learn about reading Sigmets, Airmets, TARs, etc.

 

It is a boat load of info to retain. I want to go through my first stage looking more like a hero than a zero. So, my question is does anyone know of any training software (possibly interactive) that can keep learning this stuff from being so painful? Did you guys just suck it up and memorize it the hard way? Any links, or tips would be awesome.

 

Thanks

 

If you haven’t done it yet, join Duat.com and print-out all the weather sections in the normal coded format, then print-out the identical weather in the “plain language” format and start reading…….

[iChris]

It is a boat load of info to retain. I want to go through my first stage looking more like a hero than a zero. So, my question is does anyone know of any training software (possibly interactive) that can keep learning this stuff from being so painful? Did you guys just suck it up and memorize it the hard way? Any links, or tips would be awesome.

 

 

C'Mon Man! The PTS has only two sections on this and the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge covers what you need to know in only two chapters (Chapter 11 & Chapter 12). You can handle that. It’s all condensed and simplified.

 

Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical - “Providing the basic knowledge essential for all pilots – from beginning students to those pursuing more advanced certificates – is the purpose of this official FAA Handbook that has been required reading for over 30 years.”

 

Lean – gain or acquire knowledge of a skill in (something) by study, experience, or by being taught. The two main keys study and experience,

 

Don’t tell me you’re looking for a shortcut. Did someone tell you this was going to be easy? It’s just like they already said………

 

Pilots handbook of aeronautical knowledge is free on the faa web site faa-h-8083-25a is its book number chapters 11 & 12. You should probably have one anyway and it worked fine for me

 

Reading TAFs and Metars isn't really as bad as it looks. A lot of the abreviations can be reasoned through, like BKN, OVC, -RA, TS, PROB40 (broken, overcast, light rain, thunderstorms, 40% probability) if you really look at them they're not that difficult. Some others like BR (mist) you'll need to memorize, but just transcribe a bunch and you'll get the hang of it.

 

You want to impress your CFI on this first stage check show him that you can competantly call for a briefing,...another thing that just takes practice

 

There are no shortcuts. There is a lot to learn, and you have to learn it. Some learn faster than others, but you either learn it or you quit. Everyone learns differently, so you have to use whatever works best for you, but in the end you have to grind it out one way or another

 

If you haven’t done it yet, join Duat.com and print-out all the weather sections in the normal coded format, then print-out the identical weather in the “plain language” format and start reading

 

PRIVATE PILOT

Practical Test Standards

 

C. TASK: WEATHER INFORMATION

REFERENCES: 14 CFR part 91; AC 00-6, AC 00-45, AC 61-84;

FAA-H-8083-25; AIM.

 

Objective. To determine that the applicant:

 

1. Exhibits knowledge of the elements related to weather information

by analyzing weather reports, charts, and forecasts from various

sources with emphasis on—

 

a. METAR, TAF, and FA.

b. surface analysis chart.

c. radar summary chart.

d. winds and temperature aloft chart.

e. significant weather prognostic charts.

f. AWOS, ASOS, and ATIS reports.

 

2. Makes a competent “go/no-go” decision based on available weather

information.

Edited January 2, 2013 by iChris

[Wally]

Nothing works better than WORK. Read the formatted weather (and forecasts), interpret and check. Repeat as required.

Also applies to the science versus the real world. Read what meteorologists say to describe conditions and trends, and follow up. With practice...

[Gomer Pylot]

Landing gear light

You mean I've been flying illegally for 40+ years? I've NEVER had a landing gear light, never even seen one.