Pilots Are Also Weathermen

You surely know that weather is a super important aspect of the aviation industry. It affects the way airplanes fly, after all. But do you have any idea just how finely attuned to the weather a pilot has to be? It’s not casual knowledge- pilots need to have a profound understanding of meteorology’s most specific technicalities. In other words, they’re basically weathermen.

Ever wondered how they manage to stay tuned in?

Smartphone Apps

Yes, regular old smartphone apps are a great resource that keeps pilots in the loop when it comes to climate! They may not be the fanciest weather products in the aviation industry, but they sure are helpful. There’s an abundance of weather-watching apps available for smartphones, so the knowledge of what’s going on up in the sky is literally at the palm of our hands.

Electronic Flight Bags

An Electronic Flight Bag (EFB for short) is “…an electronic information management device that helps flight crews perform flight management tasks more easily and efficiently…” The EFB is an amazing resource to the aviation industry for plenty of reasons, one of them being that many have built-in weather products. They include all kinds of reliable data concerning weather patterns like metars, tafs, and radar images.

Flight Service Stations

There are loads of Flight Service Stations located throughout the United States, so pilots pretty much always have access to their resources. These stations are dedicated to providing information to aircraft pilots before, during, and after flights. Exact services vary by county, but typical support includes weather briefings and advisories. Flight Service Stations are reachable by radio in-flight or telephone on the ground.

IFR Certification

While all pilots learn to fly using visual observances (also known as Visual Flight Rules), they all have the option to go the extra mile by getting an Instrument Flight Rules certification. What’s the difference? Under IFR, pilots learn to rely entirely on their weather products and instruments, so that they can fly even in conditions with extremely poor visibility, or none at all.

Are you interested in becoming a pilot?

The advantages of getting your pilot certificate are nothing short of life-changing. Whether you’re a casual flight-hobbyist or considering an aviation career, get a head start at Red Arrow Flight Academy. We offer exceptional flight training to safely and efficiently help you achieve your goals. Give us a call at (575) 201-6160, or contact us via our website.