Canadian Aviation Weather

Canadian Aviation Weather getting a facelift. CAW #3 will be available at the end of February. I hope. Due to miscommunication, printers breaking down and planets not lining up things were delayed about a month and a half. The new nip and tuck version will be full colour, have an extra chapter on altimetry, errors, and typos fixed with a new cover. Plus an eBook version will be available. As far as price, how does $59.95 for the softcover and $39.95 for the eBook sound?

Join me at Pilot Weather Wisdom https://pilotweatherwisdom.wordpress.com/ I won't be posting on this site anymore. ... But before you go, here is a recent podcast. https://www.cardinalaviation.ca//cardinal-aviation-audio-b

Too Cold to Fly? Come over to Canadian Aviation Weather's blog... https://doug-morris-5a4h.squarespace.com//554dede3e4b0e06f

Chapter 8 from a pending book Chapter 8 Weather Stuff Can clouds foretell flight conditions? Clouds do foretell flight conditions. Billowy, puffy clouds signal a bumpy ride ahead, while clouds based a few thousand feet above the ground typically give way to smooth conditions when climbing above. Usually, layered clouds also lead to a steady ride. An experienced eye can recognize clouds that are associated with a weather phenomenon. Even fog, a cloud based at the ground, rend...Continue reading

Beware of the Tailwind Aloft Part of our approach briefing is to include potential threats. While flying from Copenhagen, Denmark to Toronto I chimed in with, YYZ’s TAF is forecasting a southwest flow for two hours after this northeast flow. There could be a strong southwest flow aloft. Silence ensued among the other three pilots and I could hear them thinking, what is the skipper talking about? I broke the silence by joking, my meteorological senses were tingling. Sure... enough ATC mentioned a strong southwest flow aloft with winds shifting to easterly at 1000 to 1500 AGL. The B787 radar was also painting purple wind shear, a rarity. Buffalo’s upper air sounding clocked the winds southwest 25 to 40 knots at vectoring heights for Toronto. (Buffalo is the closest upper station). When the flow aloft is a strong tailwind, ATC can have a tough time with it. They also want you to get down and slow down. Something very difficult to do in an airliner without significant drag. Luckily, the 787 has big boards compared to the Airbus credit cards used for speed brakes. The F/O flying this leg couldn’t slow the slippery wing so he disengaged the A/P and rode the glide slope a little high. The well executed maneuver allowed final flap. I wrote about this very scenario catching a supervisor by surprise some 15 to 16 years ago. It’s mentioned in both weather books. Weather does repeat itself! The F/O greased it on in a light northeast flow coupled with a wet runway. A wet runway is a pilot’s favourite, but not too wet! I did mention after we landed about how my meteorological senses were right and that no one buys my books. Hint, hint guys. Even if you have 15,000 to 20,000 hours, which both my F/O’s had, they could use a refresher.

March's enRoute

Okay. Pilot Weather will soon hit the streets. In the mean time, check out the website: www.pilotweatherbook.com

New pilot weather book: Pilot Weather. From Solo to the Airlines Coming soon...an aviation weather book for American pilots...Pilot Weather: From Solo to the Airlines. ETA is September 2018. This book will include a glossary of over 550 entries and will be in full colour (Oops, I meant color for my friends south of the border). I have hit a meteorological wall trying to convince Canadian pilots that Canadian Aviation Weather is the best weather book out there, so it's time to move south of the border. "Trumpland" here we come!

February Canadian Aviation Weather