Backcountry Pilot

[shortfielder offline]

Hello all I am wondering wat he preferred website is to check upcoming weather. Thanks Gary

[Zzz]

Gary,

Early on we had a thread along those lines...start here:

http://www.backcountrypilot.org/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=67

[By Rocket I go offline]

If it´s for a survey, I use www.inm.es but if you are looking for a good one you can use, I don´t think it´s of much use for you

Jose

[Savannah-Tom offline]

I like this one:

http://usairnet.com/cgi-bin/launch/code ... e+Location

It is both graphical and numbers for roughly three days. It has agreed quite well with both what I see out the window, and TAFs. The one weakness has been in predicting morning radiation fog.

tom

[shortfielder offline]

Thanks Zane, Jose and Tom. Gary

[shortfielder offline]

Hey Tom Thanks again. I just went there and that's the easiest one for me to use, I like that. Gary

[Strata Rocketeer offline]

Wow Tom, that is pretty cool. I just stuck it my weather menu.

[AvidFlyer offline]

Tom I have been using usairnet for a couple years now. The surface wind forcasts are usually very accurate and come in handy when trying to plan a day to fly the powered parachute ultralights.

[punkgeek offline]

My favorites (just METAR and TAF stuff, but still great):

http://www.runwayfinder.com - based on google maps, gives a quick snapshot of current conditions (and TFRs) before a flight

and

http://www.rvproject.com/wx - fast and minimal, you can set your home location and it stores it in a cookie. If you pay for weathertap it collects all the good links in one place

(both RV builders btw)

[mtv offline]

Aviation Digital Data Service works fine, is a NWS site, so has all the updated weather products from the folks who produce them. Every other site is simply a different presentation of the same stuff, but presentation can be very important, so pick one that you like.

MTV

[LowAndSlow offline]

Something we use a great deal up here are webcams. There's one at Johnson Creek, and one at Staley. I'll also check in with the Brundage and Sun Valley ski areas. Of course, it's all local stuff, but it can give you a pretty good idea of what is going on around you. There's another one at the McCall airport. I'm sure in your local flying area, you can find webcams that might be useful.

As far as weather websites, I use ADDS, but I do feel like they're all about the same.

John

[Supercubber offline]

If you'd like one to automatically load a console with all the current weather for your specific area Weatherbug works good and also provides forecasts and radar.

After you click on the link, just insert the zip code for the current conditions you would like.....or

Scroll down a little and download the console for free local weather. Shows wind direction, mph, gusts, current temp, dew point etc.

http://www.weatherbug.com/

[Cubdude offline]

http://www.weatherbug.com/

While it is giving you all that nice weather info it is sending all your computer info out on the net.

Weather bug is one of the worst forms of spyware out there!

[Strata Rocketeer offline]

Weather bug is one of the worst forms of spyware out there!

That's what the bug in Weatherbug stands for. I guess that explains why every time I go to weather.com Supercubbers credit card number scrolls across my screen.

Actually, most of the desktop weather products have cleaned up their act with regards to adware and spyware after getting a lot of grief from users about it. Almost all of them profess to be spyware free now, but many are ad supported by running a small changing ad banner in the display.

[a64pilot offline]

http://www.weatherbug.com/

While it is giving you all that nice weather info it is sending all your computer info out on the net.

Weather bug is one of the worst forms of spyware out there!

I'm suspicious of any of that "free" stuff. I assume places like this are someone's hobby and maybe are safe, but those "free" apps that correct your computers clock etc., worry me. Remember it's not paranoia if the're really after you.

[Supercubber offline]

If you click on the weatherbug link and scroll through the homepage they have a disclaimer that specifically states they will not do that.

But they do run the advertising banners on the free console.

Most any website you log onto is most likely tracking your activities in some way. At the very least they know what browser your using, your type of connection, speed, computer ID, which website you left before coming to them and which website you went to after. Many also leave you with tracking cookies, logging all of your internet activity.

I loaded Weatherbug on the airport computer so I'm not to worried about the spyware thing. I like using it.