Learning to fly, or thinking of learning? Post your questions, comments and experiences here

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By StratoTramp
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1908828
Hi all, I attended day one of this today. With Simon Keeling @Weatherman - It was really good and well worth the money. :thumleft:

My initial thoughts were £279 seems a bit steep - and that the good stuff probably wasn't until day 2 (another £279), a bit like a loss leader perhaps, I thought try and see - How wrong was I! I had got that value by lunch time. :thumleft: (Speaking of which, lunch was great I was expecting cucumber sandwiches but there is a great local cafe the delegates go to).

I'm not a complete noob to weather - I am a lowland leader and love the outdoors. In terms of aviation, I have read the Pooley's Air Law and Meteorology book cover to cover studiously, I have also watched about 20 hours of YouTube on 'Clouds and Cloud formation', and on top of that had lots and lots of discussion with my instructor - BUT nothing has really gelled until todays course with Simon. Being autodidactic can only go so far.

That sensation when things begin to click is amazing. Weather systems are complex by nature and always need to be respected, the unexpected can always occur - However, I feel so much more knowledgeable and confident now. It is making me think back to some of my lessons and thinking - "Ah that's what that was! I understand now".

Highlights for me were:

+ What airmasses mean for flying, and where.
+ Where it's likely to be safe* to fly in front / behind fronts, how far away and for how long.
+ Approximate 'area of effect' of fronts.
+ Where to expect Icing
+ Convergences and how they move (or not!)
+ Also, I had never heard of a Col, maybe I missed it in the Pooley's book! (Edit: I did P.328)
+ Geostrophic calculations.

Oh that's about 70% of the course! :lol:

I am going to have to write my notes neatly tomorrow to ensure everything is captured before I forget. That said it's not endless technical chat - Simon has a great way of simplifying the topics and also many actionable rules of thumb. He is clearly enthused with the subject and it is catching!

The course was engaging and I'm actually looking forward to revisiting some of my past flights and working out what was happening and also becoming a bit of a weather nerd and trying some of my own predictions and seeing how they turn our before I graduate. I've been on some courses where by lunch you want it to end but this one was great to the finish.

I'm not sure if this is universal but the course came with Premium access to his weather site, which some how manages to publish the Met pressure maps before the Met themselves do!

Not sure when I will book it, but looking forward to day 2 :D

Give it a try if your experience of weather is through a scanner darkly! :thumright:

*We all know a better educated pilot is a safer pilot - The intention of the course is to be able to fly more but never be maverick! To be more certain with 'Go' situations, but especially 'No Go' situations. Weather systems need to be respected, there is always the option not to go or to ensure RTB is possible. :!:
Harleyatrix, Milty, T6Harvard and 1 others liked this