Hilarious Part 107

[johnburton]

I'll attach a screenshot of a training video. This is just a fun rant. Aviation stuff is so unintuitive!

So, in the screenshot, here's what it all means:

METAR: This is the report. But, those letters may be swapped out with SPECI. This means SPECIAL (too tough to add the extra two letters)
KLAX: The airport. Ok, that one makes sense.
121852Z: 12 is the day of the month (Ummmm...what month. Current I suppose) 1852Z is the time.
25004KT: The first three numbers (250) is the direction the wind is blowing. Then, with no clear break between the numbers, the next two numbers (04) is the speed in knots. Oh, and if there's a G followed by two other numbers, that's the gusts. Of course!
6SM: Visibility in statute miles.
BR: This stands for mist. Because, of course it does.
SCT007: Cloud cover and elevation. SCT means scattered. Ok. 007 means 700. Yep. You have to add two zeroes because it's too hard to actually include the actual number on the report.
SCT250: Scattered clouds at 25000 feet. Look at that, I'm learning!
16/15: 16 is the temperature in Celsius. 15 is the due point in Celsius. Ummmm...in the other part of the report they use statute miles...why the metrics? Oh, and if there's an M before the number, that means negative. So, negative 16 degrees celsius. I guess it stands for minus? Maybe an actual "-" would be better.
A2991: Altimeter setting. 29.91 inches of mercury. Yes, they left out the decimal point.

Wow! The charts are equally confusing...totally unnecessarily. I think they need to hire a graphic designer/infographic person to help. I think lots of left-brain coder types probably put all this together!
Ok, back to drone school I go!

 

[paul242]

Welcome to the world of Aviation!

 

[GregE]

I've been dealing with METAR for many years. You get used to it with experience.

It's kept short for teletype format. Yu cn rd this - most just sound out.
K is the international letter for US airports

 

[DoomMeister]

The system hasn’t been upgraded since the teletype days when all the weather reports came in from weather stations at airports and most cloud levels and densities were from eyewitness reports from pilots and ground personnel.

I would have to agree that in this day and age of weather satellites, Doppler radar, and high speed communications a plain text version in a standard format would make more sense.

The time spent learning to decode a METAR could be spent learning how to better predict the effects weather will have on your flight plans.

 

[Marty Markoe]

I'd pay for an app that easily translated METARs and airspace to easily understandable pictures and language.

 

[DoomMeister]

I'd pay for an app that easily translated METARs and airspace to easily understandable pictures and language.

Checkout the Windy app. You can see METAR’s in normal or plain English. It is available for iOS and Android.

Compare the METAR for Orlando (MCO) in plain language and Raw modes.

 

[hiflyer201]

yes...and that was after changes a few years ago to make it all easier..lol Br for fog has been a mystery to me ..I guess it's from Brouillard..Francais for fog. It was previously FOG.

 

[Marty Markoe]

Checkout the Windy app. You can see METAR’s in normal or plain English. It is available for iOS and Android.
Compare the METAR for Orlando (MCO) in plain language and Raw modes.

Thank you. Very useful