Weather tool you must know about - particularly for IMC / Icing

[gsengle]

One of the best tools I've ever found for planning cross country flights is one that it seems few people know about.

Go to weather.aero, where you'll find an experimental adds site from faa / ncar (national center for atmospheric research).

The site is good, but check out the flight path tool under desktop apps. It is a java app that works on mac or pc.

The brilliance is that it gives you access to the 3 dimensional current/forecast model of the atmosphere. You put in a route of flight, and you can see VERTICAL cross sections as well as an area view for the weather aspect you choose. If you turn on relative humidity, for instance, you can see where the cloud layers and tops are forecast. It is brilliant.

Anyone else been using this? it is the only way I've found to plan long trips particularly where there is imc with chances of icing I'd like to avoid...

Greg

[MooneyMitch]

Thank you. We'll check it out.

[fantom]

Quite valuable, well constructed, user friendly, and simple to understand.

http://weather.aero/tools/desktopapps/flightpathtool

[AndyFromCB]

This is quite amazing. Exactly what I've been looking for all these years...

[N201MKTurbo]

I've been using it for years. It is the second place I go when planning a flight.

[rainman]

I tried to click on the link fantom provided, but it won't open?? Ray

[gsengle]

I tried to click on the link fantom provided, but it won't open?? Ray

http://weather.aero/tools/desktopapps/flightpathtool

worked for me...

[jlunseth]

Its also available at aviationweather.gov>Java Tools>Flight Path Tool .

[carusoam]

Did anyone get it to work with an iPad?

I don't recall the tech issue, but couldn't get it to work.

Best regards,

-a-

[gsengle]

Did anyone get it to work with an iPad?

I don't recall the tech issue, but couldn't get it to work.

Best regards,

-a-

This is a desktop app that likely will only work on PC and Mac.

[carusoam]

Thanks G.,

I'll try at home. I am performing my annual research on apps and sites to collect preflight data. This one may be helpful.

Best regards,

-a-

[jlunseth]

carusoam-

It is written in Java, and Apple does not allow Java on the iPad.