Weather information when ATIS not available?

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toby23
Posts: 37
Joined: Mon May 08, 2017 4:03 pm

Weather information when ATIS not available?

Post by toby23 »

1. How do you obtain accurate METAR information for an airport without an ATIS service?
Do you choose the nearest airport with an ATIS and use that information? What if the nearest airport is more than 30nm away? That seems like a rather inaccurate way of 'guessing' the weather..

2. How do real pilots know that the weather will be VFR at their destination if there is no ATIS available at the destination?

3. How do they choose which runway to land on at an uncontrolled airport without an ATIS? It seems like the only way is to fly over the runway and check the windsock?
Kyle.Sanders
Posts: 819
Joined: Sat Jan 18, 2014 5:13 pm

Re: Weather information when ATIS not available?

Post by Kyle.Sanders »

1) AWOS? Give us a location you are speaking about.

2) nearest wx reporting station?

3) if no wx info, that is a great!
Kyle Sanders
toby23
Posts: 37
Joined: Mon May 08, 2017 4:03 pm

Re: Weather information when ATIS not available?

Post by toby23 »

1. https://www.airnav.com/airport/L88 - KIZA (28nm) provides the closest METAR

I guess this is just a limitation of flight simulation, that we cannot use the phone to call a nearby airport for a weather report..
Thanks Kyle.
Kyle.Sanders
Posts: 819
Joined: Sat Jan 18, 2014 5:13 pm

Re: Weather information when ATIS not available?

Post by Kyle.Sanders »

Kyle Sanders
toby23
Posts: 37
Joined: Mon May 08, 2017 4:03 pm

Re: Weather information when ATIS not available?

Post by toby23 »

Does this plugin inject downloaded weather data to the sim? Does it provide the same functionality as FSGRW, which I currently use? or does it add an in-sim 'weather report' for local weather that would add the 'call the local airport' functionality? I don't see a PilotEdge compatibility option in the settings, does it work fine with PE?
Kyle.Sanders
Posts: 819
Joined: Sat Jan 18, 2014 5:13 pm

Re: Weather information when ATIS not available?

Post by Kyle.Sanders »

FSGRW is something I've not used but what I know about it, it is the same as NOAA plugin.

There is nothing to be "compatible" with on PilotEdge. PilotEdge doesn't inject weather into your sim. The controllers are using real weather (metar) data unless you say you are using custom weather, in which, ignore what the controller says in reference to weather data.
Kyle Sanders
toby23
Posts: 37
Joined: Mon May 08, 2017 4:03 pm

Re: Weather information when ATIS not available?

Post by toby23 »

I'll try it out in a bit, thanks for the tip.
I only mentioned the compatibility option as there is a special setting for this in NOAA for IVAO and VATSIM.
Keith Smith
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Re: Weather information when ATIS not available?

Post by Keith Smith »

Not sure this helps his case. That is a plugin for winds aloft if I'm not mistaken, and that functionality is already built into XP11.
Keith Smith
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Re: Weather information when ATIS not available?

Post by Keith Smith »

toby23 wrote:1. How do you obtain accurate METAR information for an airport without an ATIS service?
Do you choose the nearest airport with an ATIS and use that information? What if the nearest airport is more than 30nm away? That seems like a rather inaccurate way of 'guessing' the weather..

2. How do real pilots know that the weather will be VFR at their destination if there is no ATIS available at the destination?

3. How do they choose which runway to land on at an uncontrolled airport without an ATIS? It seems like the only way is to fly over the runway and check the windsock?
A technical solution isn't required as the issues you're encountering are all non-technical in nature.

If an airport doesn't have weather reporting, then it's not possible to get METAR information for that airport....period. And that's ok.

You can tell what the weather is at an airport by looking up from the panel and looking out the window before you get there. I realize how silly it sounds, but it draws attention to the fact that VFR is a lot more fluid than you think. You are required to maintain VFR cloud clearance and visibility. There is nothing that says that the airport must have weather reporting equipment, or that you have to know the exact conditions from 30-40nm away. You head towards the airport, observe the weather and make a decision.

Regarding runway selection, you can get an idea of the prevailing surface winds from nearby airports' METARs....but any number of things could cause YOUR airport to have different wind conditions. Your preflight planning will tell you were the windsock(s) are, or you can just try to find them when you get there. In lieu of that, your airplane will tell you what the winds are on final. If you have GPS showing groundspeed, then if your groundspeed is lower than your indicated airspeed while on final, you have a headwind component. As for the crosswind component, you will be able to feel that by observing the crab or slip required to maintain your position on the extended center line. Between those two things, you can work out what the wind is doing.

In lieu of GPS, a bit more finesse is required as you need to know the calm wind power settings for a typical final approach with your airplane. If you're carrying more power on final than usual to maintain the glideslope...congratulations, you have a headwind (or a downdraft, but those tend to not be sustained). Conversely, if you're at a lower than usual power setting or your sustained airspeed is high while on glideslope at a normal power setting...then you have a tailwind.

VFR into a lonely field in the middle of nowhere is pretty much 'seat of the pants' flying.

Enjoy it.
toby23
Posts: 37
Joined: Mon May 08, 2017 4:03 pm

Re: Weather information when ATIS not available?

Post by toby23 »

Many thanks Keith , that's just the knowledge that I was missing.
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