********Whether you are a new or experienced pilot flight planning is of paramount importance to any flight you undertake. A well organised flight plan can mean the difference between a turbulent flight and a calm one. Knowing to some degree what to expect in terms of the weather really makes a difference to most flights in terms of safety and also fuel consumption. A warning about what weather the aircraft is heading into can help the pilot to make calculated decisions. Meeting bad weather could cause a flight to use more fuel however a good flight plan can take this into account and ensure that all aircraft have not only an alternate airport to turn to but also enough fuel to make the extra journey as safely as possible. It was not so long ago that flight planning took days of calculations which were done by hand; this of course was not only very difficult but also open to error. Today we can enjoy fast and accurate results thanks to sophisticated flight planning software and with today’s climate of high fuel prices and eco awareness, it is increasingly important for aviation to keep up with efforts to reduce carbon footprints and to minimise fuel wastage.
Check out this free weather training:-
meted.ucar.edu/
srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/
I am just finishing up meteo 101 at Penn State(next week). It is not a cheap or easy course but you do learn a lot. I would like to do the next few courses but at almost $2k each, I can’t justify the cost at the moment(I have all I need for this section of general studies for my degree). I hope to do them sometime next decade.
Thank GOD for good dispatchers!