Airport.

[snowman]

Why doesn't the METAR cover tomorrow, like Dublin for example?

[madmanxpilot]

5 hours ago, snowman said:

Why doesn't the METAR cover tomorrow, like Dublin for example?

A METAR (meteorological aerodrome report)  is an actual weather report, not a forecast. METARS are typically issued every 30 minutes and relate to the actual weather observed  at 20 past and ten to each hour. Occasionally, if the weather warrants it, they will be produced and broadcast at any time.

The forecast is known as a TAF (terminal aerodrome forecast). There are two types of TAF, short TAFs and long TAFs. Short TAFs are published every three hours and forecast the weather for the next nine hours. Long TAFs are valid for (if i recall correctly) 24 hours and tend to be only issued at larger airports, where long haul flights are due to arrive. This will allow crews operating those long flights to have something to hang their planning hats on bearing in mind it may be 14 hours from when they leave the briefing room to when they arrive at destination.

Dublin is a long haul destination airport. Fraggle Rock International isn't. Thats why we don't have long TAFs here.

 

[Utah 01]

By way of an example, here's the latest:

EGNS 301120Z 20036G47KT 3000 RA BKN007 OVC014 14/14 Q0991 RERA BECMG 24025KT 8000 -RA BKN012
TAF EGNS 300800Z 3009/3018 19030G45KT 8000 RA SCT006 BKN012 TEMPO 3009/3013 19035G52KT 3000 +RA BKN004 BECMG 3012/3015 25026KT 9999 NSW SCT018

Get the sun screen ready for 1300L.
 

Edited September 30, 2022 by Utah 01

[forestboy]

1 minute ago, Utah 01 said:

By way of an example, here's the latest:

EGNS 301120Z 20036G47KT 3000 RA BKN007 OVC014 14/14 Q0991 RERA BECMG 24025KT 8000 -RA BKN012
TAF EGNS 300800Z 3009/3018 19030G45KT 8000 RA SCT006 BKN012 TEMPO 3009/3013 19035G52KT 3000 +RA BKN004 BECMG 3012/3015 25026KT 9999 NSW SCT018
 

All gobbledygook to a mere layman. 

[Utah 01]

23 minutes ago, forestboy said:

All gobbledygook to a mere layman

It's pretty easy if you think 'weather' and take each chunk at a time.

Translation of the METAR and you'll think: of course, obvious -

25 minutes ago, forestboy said:

EGNS 301120Z 20036G47KT 3000 RA BKN007 OVC014 14/14 Q0991 RERA BECMG 24025KT 8000 -RA BKN012

EGNS Ronaldsway

301120Z  - Date time group of the observation - 30 September 1120 ZULU time (1220 Local)

20036G47kt - Wind 200 degrees 36 gusting 47 knots

3000 - visibility 3000m

RA - Rain (!)

OVC 014 - cloud overcast 1400'

14/14 - temperature and dew point

Q0991 - atmospheric pressure (for altimeter settings)

RERA - recent rain

BECMG - becoming

24025KT - wind again

8000 - visiblity 8000m

-RA - light rain (+RA = heavy rain)

BKN012 - broken cloud 1200'

......so the TAF decode will be a piece of cake.

[Andy Onchan]

37 minutes ago, forestboy said:

All gobbledygook to a mere layman. 

I thought it was a word search puzzle!

[madmanxpilot]

46 minutes ago, Utah 01 said:

By way of an example, here's the latest:

EGNS 301120Z 20036G47KT 3000 RA BKN007 OVC014 14/14 Q0991 RERA BECMG 24025KT 8000 -RA BKN012
TAF EGNS 300800Z 3009/3018 19030G45KT 8000 RA SCT006 BKN012 TEMPO 3009/3013 19035G52KT 3000 +RA BKN004 BECMG 3012/3015 25026KT 9999 NSW SCT018

Get the sun screen ready for 1300L.
 

That is both - METAR (for 1120 today) and TAF for the period 0900 to 1800 today. 
 

Having read these things for many years I can instantly see that they say: blowin a hoolie yessir, but you can hang your washing out later coz the rain is gonna stop when the leaves start blowing from the west.

You have to pass some tough exams to be able to do that 😊

[snowman]

16 hours ago, madmanxpilot said:

Dublin is a long haul destination airport. Fraggle Rock International isn't. Thats why we don't have long TAFs here.

 

Here's a better example, rather than Dublin....

Neither Liverpool nor Aldergrove are long haul destinations but the TAF covers tomorrow.  IOM doesnt.  Why ?

 

The current TAF for Jersey and Guernsey goes to 22:00 tonight. Why doesnt IOM go that far ?

Edited September 30, 2022 by snowman

[madmanxpilot]

Just now, snowman said:

 

Here's a better example, rather than Dublin....

Neither Liverpool nor Aldergrove are long haul destinations but the TAF covers tomorrow.  IOM doesnt.  Why ?

Because they are alternates for the long haul arrivals, and to be nominated as such there must be a weather forecast available for the period of one hour either side of the ETA.

You need alternate aerodromes  to have a legal flight plan. 

There are very few exceptions to this rule, but if the destination is isolated ( no alternates physically available) then different rules do apply.

[snowman]

@madmanxpilot thanks - that makes sense

 

Just this bit left to understand: 

The current TAF for Jersey and Guernsey goes to 22:00 tonight. Why doesnt IOM go that far ?

[madmanxpilot]

7 minutes ago, snowman said:

@madmanxpilot thanks - that makes sense

 

Just this bit left to understand: 

The current TAF for Jersey and Guernsey goes to 22:00 tonight. Why doesnt IOM go that far ?

I just checked both here and Jersey - both current TAFs are for the period 13-22.

Sometimes some aerodromes put theirs out a little early or a little late, the system sometimes is slow to upload them. Maybe this it when you looked the IOM one was the 10-19 one.
 

[snowman]

1 minute ago, madmanxpilot said:

I just checked both here and Jersey - both current TAFs are for the period 13-22.

Sometimes some aerodromes put theirs out a little early or a little late, the system sometimes is slow to upload them. Maybe this it when you looked the IOM one was the 10-19 one.
 

That probably explains it. Cheers

[doc.fixit]

Just a little interesting story.

We went to Inverness last week via Manchester and were told by the staff at Ronaldsway that we would have to get our bags at Manchester and go through security again before getting the Inverness plane, both of them Loganair. Which we dutifully did with much grumbling.

On the way back at Inverness we were told, eventually, that of course we could go straight through Manchester because we were domestic traffic and that they couldn't understand why we had been told that Manchester wouldn't allow it.

So, thanks to the ground staff at Inverness because we had a hitch free journey back home with no need for security at Manchester.

All the 'planes were Loganair.

[Andy Onchan]

12 minutes ago, doc.fixit said:

Just a little interesting story.

We went to Inverness last week via Manchester and were told by the staff at Ronaldsway that we would have to get our bags at Manchester and go through security again before getting the Inverness plane, both of them Loganair. Which we dutifully did with much grumbling.

On the way back at Inverness we were told, eventually, that of course we could go straight through Manchester because we were domestic traffic and that they couldn't understand why we had been told that Manchester wouldn't allow it.

So, thanks to the ground staff at Inverness because we had a hitch free journey back home with no need for security at Manchester.

All the 'planes were Loganair.

Was your luggage booked through to INV from IOM?

[doc.fixit]

No, the desk girl said that it was not possible because Manchester wouldn't allow it. On the way back however, although the desk girl said the same the supervisor quickly put her right and sorted it with no problem. Luggage booked right through and no security needed at Manchester.