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Aviation Weather Apps

xj220

Will fly for food.
pilot
Contributor
Our Wx radar isn't the best and I'd like something with a little more fidelity and information to avoid hitting imbedded storms or storms at night. Do you know of any apps that would provide that kind of information in flight? I know ForeFlight exists and you can use the GPS in flight, but I don't think it gets up-to-date weather. I figured something that would do that would be more serious equipment that I probably can't afford but I figured I'd ask the question anyways.
 

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
Foreflight will do it if it can pull data from ADS-B. You'd need a small box (like a Stratus) for that to work and it syncs via BT. I'm sure NAVAIR will find some reason for why that's a horrible idea.

The other method is to pull the data via XM, but that would require an antenna and subscription, which might actually be an okay method from a NAVAIR perspective.
 

Duc'-guy25

Well-Known Member
pilot
ADS-B/Stratus/foreflight wx inputs are clutch, but it is technically not legal to use for storm avoidance (I'm told due to its information not being up to the minute accurate), as where radar is. Nice "SA tool" though.
 

Griz882

Frightening children with the Griz-O-Copter!
pilot
Contributor
I get it from my iLevil 3aw using WingX. It is crazy accurate and timely. Over the weekend I did an XC from VKX to 7B3 to visit my son and the system saved me from some rapidly shifting patterns.
 

ChuckMK23

FERS and TSP contributor!
pilot
Foreflight on an iPad (and the cheapest of current to last 2 gen of iPad's are sufficient) with an ADS-B receiver is your answer. Foreflight just released their own receiver - that integrates AHRS, GPS, ADS-B IN for $499. I have a demo unit I am flying with and the weather fidelity is remarkable - not to mention up to date realtime access to METAR, TAF, backup AHRS, etc...

It's not weather radar - so that level of tactical WX SA won't be found, however, for avoiding lines of embeded storms around fronts and isolated cells - it works for that. Especially at night.

So, not as good as real time ship WX radar, however much better than FAA ARTCC/TRACON precip detection on their radar technology.


This is a serious tool. Highly recommended.This is the future.
 

UInavy

Registered User
pilot
Super Moderator
Contributor
Foreflight will do it if it can pull data from ADS-B. You'd need a small box (like a Stratus) for that to work and it syncs via BT. I'm sure NAVAIR will find some reason to study it as a solution for 5-10 years, determine it's not compatible, develop their own subpar solution, then deploy it to the Fleet in insufficient numbers with no documentation, update capability, or life-cycle supportability for why that's a horrible idea.
My take on NAVAIR timeliness of getting us 'things.'
 

RedFive

Well-Known Member
pilot
None
Contributor
Whoa, all this time I thought you only got traffic data from ADS-B. I'm sold, thanks for educating me boys!
 

xj220

Will fly for food.
pilot
Contributor
Wow, awesome responses, thanks everyone! Being a P-8 guy, would these work oceanic or do I have to be over land?
 

HokiePilot

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
It won't get any weather info out side of line of site of the transmission sites.

I don't know if the P-8 radar is the same as the normal 737, but many airlines routinely use the 737 for ETOPS flights outside of normal radar coverage.
 

xj220

Will fly for food.
pilot
Contributor
It isn’t, unfortunately. What we have is a mode off of the mission radar. It’s decent but has its shortfalls.
 

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
ADS-B/Stratus/foreflight wx inputs are clutch, but it is technically not legal to use for storm avoidance (I'm told due to its information not being up to the minute accurate), as where radar is. Nice "SA tool" though.

I was flying off of NEXRAD data yesterday and it wasn't very helpful due to the delay, just like you're saying. I couldn't remember how to turn the actual radar on and thankfully they were only pop-ups, so instead I just looked out the window. Time to go dig around in the pub to see where that "ON/OFF" button is.
 

ChuckMK23

FERS and TSP contributor!
pilot
MK1 eyeball:) I did my Airplane CFII (additional rating) checkride yesterday afternoon - instruments from right seat cross cockpit while visually dodging active thunderstorms and rain showers - ADS-B and XM weather is not granular enough or real time enough to avoid - I was only at 3,000 feet so the eyeball was my primary defense!

ILS 21R @ KLUK and RNAV 22 @ I69 :)
 

Griz882

Frightening children with the Griz-O-Copter!
pilot
Contributor
MK1 eyeball:) I did my Airplane CFII (additional rating) checkride yesterday afternoon - instruments from right seat cross cockpit while visually dodging active thunderstorms and rain showers - ADS-B and XM weather is not granular enough or real time enough to avoid - I was only at 3,000 feet so the eyeball was my primary defense!

ILS 21R @ KLUK and RNAV 22 @ I69 :)
Probably the best sensor ever...as long as it isn’t linked to the MK3 dumbass.
 
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