Never fly alone

The vastness and the enormity of the weather can at times make us feel small and alone. But at least when it comes to understanding the weather, you’re never alone.

In addition to the wealth of weather information we have before taking off, many sources of information are available to us en route as well. They come broadly from three sources.

Panel or iPad
The most easily accessible and robust source of in-flight weather comes from your airplane’s panel or your iPad. Weather is delivered by SiriusXM (yes, the satellite radio people) or via ground stations from the FAA. This is called FIS-B and contains some of the same information as SiriusXM. Various panel interfaces and iPad apps display the information, which includes radar, METARs and TAFs, winds aloft, and much more. As you fly longer cross-countries you’ll have more time to learn the benefits and drawbacks of these sources. The biggest gotcha is that the radar display is never real-time. In fact, it can be up to 20 minutes old, which makes the radar great for larger scale strategic flight planning, such as picking a new route that goes completely around the weather, and not great for tactical flying or weaving around buildups.

Air traffic control
In addition to separating airplanes, air traffic control can also help provide weather information and guidance. Tower controllers are great for micro-weather or information on conditions immediately surrounding the airport. They can give you a current update on the wind if you ask, although windsocks are perhaps an even better source for this. They also estimate visibility and can relay reports of ceiling heights from other pilots.

Approach and departure control have access to METARs of airports in their area, they can relay pilot reports, and they have reasonably detailed weather radar information. And unlike satellite or FIS-B radar, the radar displays the controllers see are nearly real-time. They can tell you the intensity of a cell and generally which direction it’s moving. With that information you can easily avoid the worst buildups. But controllers won’t make decisions for you. You have to ask for the information and then ask for what you want in terms of a new heading to avoid the weather.

Center controllers have more limited weather radar, but it can be nearly as useful as what you received from approach and departure control. All ATC facilities also provide hazardous weather alerts, including convective sigmets. And they can relay pilot reports, both formal and informal, such as telling you which direction a previous airplane turned to avoid the weather.

Flight service
Although most pilots no longer use flight service as an in-flight weather resource, briefers are there to help in the air just as they are on the ground. You can obtain all the services in the air that you can on the ground, including filing flight plans, opening and closing flight plans, updated weather information, pireps, notams, and more. Working with a flight service briefer is less formal than working with an air traffic controller, so you can take your time, ask all the questions you need, and dig deeper on the weather.

Perhaps one of the reasons many pilots no longer use flight service in the air is because doing so is slightly complicated. To find the right frequency, find the VOR closest to your route and look for the navaid’s communication box. Above the box is a frequency, usually 122.2, 122.4, or 122.6 MHz. If there’s an R after the frequency it means that flight service can only receive on that frequency. If that’s the case, you’ll need to tune in the VOR, turn up the radio, and select the nav source on the audio panel. This is where you’ll receive the transmissions. The name of the flight service station is in brackets below the box. The initial radio call goes something like this: “Leesburg Radio, Cessna 12345, transmitting on one two two point one, receiving Westminster VOR.”

[email protected]