Douglas' Blog : Category Aviation, everything about Aviation

A better way to view METAR and TAF

2010-07-16T12:10:25-06:00

If you're a pilot, work in aviation or are an aviation enthusiast then more than likely you use the METAR and TAF for your current and short-term weather inquiries. It's not that the data is necessarily any better or more accurate but that it's in a format that I'm familiar with and use all the time.

There are more than a handful of ways to retrieve METAR and TAF: Nav Canada, NAOO, and various aviation-related websites. But you're missing out if you haven't tried using the World Flight Planner to view METAR, TAF and other weather information. Access to weather information is free but if you want to use the other flight planning features, you need a subscription. But for the free weather, which is handy if you're out and about and thinking about flying, just click on the weather link in the top navbar to search for and view the latest airport and weather information. Or if you know the ICAO code for the airport you want then simply use that in combination with the country as such:

http://www.worldflightplanner.com/airports/CAN-CYVR (Vancouver International)
http://www.worldflightplanner.com/airports/USA-KLAX (Los Angeles International)

Unlike a lot of weather websites, aviation or otherwise, World Flight Planner has a custom view designed specifically for mobile devices. That means that viewing the weather is fast, easy and won't eat into your data plan. Support for geolocation means that if you don't know what your nearest airport is and your web browser or mobile device supports it, World Flight Planner will automatically determine the nearest airport and display its METAR and TAF. And, if the airport you are viewing doesn't have a METAR/TAF then World Flight Planner will automatically display the METAR/TAF from the nearest reporting station.

World Flight Planner also has a complete feature set for pre-flight planning so if you're looking for a way to plan more efficiently, with more detailed information and superior mapping, give it a try. More details are available in the product tour and all new-users get a free 30-day trial.

Disclaimer: I'm one of the co-founders of World Flight Planner. But the fact remains that the site is a great way to view aviation weather and is a great pre-flight planning tool for general aviation pilots.

World Flight Planner 1.0

2010-07-13T14:51:54-06:00

World Flight Planner is a web-based VFR and IFR pre-flight planning tool. Although the application has been built with general aviation pilots in mind, the application is also well suited for commercial pilots and dispatchers at smaller operations. Finally, after a year of part-time dabbling and then two months of full-time development, World Flight Planner is now available to the general public on a subscription basis.

Although there are a variety of pre-flight planning tools currently available, World Flight Planner is the only tool to be designed specifically for access via desktop and mobile-device web browsers. It is also the only tool which brings all the important weather information together and plots it all on a map to more easily visualize the size and location of AIRMET, SIGMET, PIREP and other weather-related details. Yesterday, for example, there were five active SIGMET in Southern Alberta. Plotting a single SIGMET before a flight can be tedious enough so image plotting five of them. But with World Flight Planner, you can easily visualize what's going on with the weather.

World Flight Planner also displays animated weather radar, airport flight rules status (VFR, MVFR, IFR, LIFR), terrain clearance and numerous other aeronautical information on your plotted route map.

Among the list of most handy features in World Flight Planner is the support for mobile devices. The application has a custom view for mobile devices that makes it faster and easier to view on the smaller screens (and using less of your data plan) but at the same time keeping almost all of the same functionality available on the desktop browser version. World Flight Planner is also looking at building native apps for various mobile devices including the iPhone and iPad, as well as Blackberry and Android-based mobile phones.

World Flight Planner supports all flight planning functionality for Canada and some functionality for flight planning in the United States. We are also currently beta-testing flight planning for Australia. You can get more details on all the application features and functionality by viewing the product tour. And if you're interested in trying out the application, all new users are offered a free 30-day trial. Just visit the account types & pricing page for pricing information and to sign up. They are offering discounts for COPA members and Hope Air volunteer pilots.

The team at World Flight Planner are continuing adding more functionality to the application as well as data for more countries. And because this is a web-based application there's no need for you to do anything when the application is updated; any new features added are available immediately.

Flight Planning for Pilots

2009-12-15T17:16:19-07:00

There have been numerous changes in aviation since I got my pilots licence. Although the same can be said about pretty much anything over time, for me general aviation of the early 1990s seems like the stone age more so than anything else.

In 1992, when Transport Canada issued me a licence, the Global Positioning System (GPS) was in the works but not yet operational or available to the general public. ILS was around but only at the major airports in Canada and there was talk of replacing it with MLS (microwave landing system). And back then, except for the major airlines, navigation was mostly done with VOR and NDB navaids or local landmarks, and your flight planning was all done on paper maps using an E6B.

But now, in 2009, we have desktop computers, the Internet and wireless devices that fit into your pocket. And with those advances in technology means that the potential exists for flight planning that doesn't involve marking up your maps with a HB pencil.

A new web-based flight planning application called World Flight Planner was recently released. This app allows you to create flight plans online using any computer connected to the Internet or any web-enabled wireless device, such as an iPhone or Blackberry. And unlike a lot of websites, this one has specially designed version just for mobile devices that contains as many features as is possible over mobile Internet. In addition to all the standard flight planning features, you can also view all the airspace and navaids near your chosen route and view an elevation profile of your route. The system is also able to calculate the MOCA for your flight on or off of the airways, which is a handy safety feature. In general, the web application is clean, simple to use and fast, thanks to use of AJAX where appropriate.

The application also has a sight collaborative aspect to it in that you can search for aircraft or flight plans shared by other users so you don't have to set new ones up from scratch. This is especially helpful if you are visiting a place for the first time or doing a one-off flight somewhere.

Right now the site is in private beta but they are accepting requests for beta invites so check it out and sign up.

Blatant disclaimer: I'm one of the developers of the World Flight Planner application -- probably should have mentioned that earlier. But then, what fun would that have been to spoil the surprise? If you're a reader of this blog and interested in trying out the application, please mention this blog, along with your experience, when signing up for the beta and I'll try and fast track your request.

So with the secret out of the way, Blake (the other developer and writer of the Fly with Blake blog) and I would appreciate as much feedback as possible once you receive your beta invite.