On the topic of the latest edition met book.

Has anybody else noticed that on page 5.9 it states the wind from the synoptic chart at perth to be NE. This seemed a little strange to me as I believed the gradient wind ran tangential to isobars running anticlockwise from a High. Point B being a high, I would of thought the wind would of been NW if anything.

Cheers

Yep. That is a typo. It should be NW. It has been changed in the master file. Thanks for your feed-back.

Thanks Guys,

I was just about to ask exactly the same question myself re Page 5.10 Q 5 in CPL Met Issue 5 2010, I was starting to believe I must have been missing something, turns out the QNH WAS 1012 in Perth so now I feel a whole lot better

Hi Bob and Richard,

Hope you are both well. I have my CPL Met exam this Monday, 10.30am WST!

Just a couple of things I noticed in your current and very good Met course (you may have had an insight that I don't) but the way I see it that on Page 7.22 Issue 5 BT CPL Met where it mentions AIRMET it says that "AIRMET advices are limited to Phenomena occuring below 12000ft." but when I read AIP Page 3.5 - 15 (12 Mar 09 a year PRIOR to book pub date but still current) it says GEN 3.5 - 5.3.2 that "AIRMET information, which concerns phenomena of a lesser degree of severity than SIGMET information, is given to aircraft operating at or below 10,000FT"

So it would appear to me that Page 7.22 issue may need an update to reflect the 10,000ft instead of 12,000ft stated to reflect current AIP?

The other one I noticed (just for the purposes of examination) was the definition of the term Variable wind direction, which according to Page 7.2 BT CPL Met mentions "When wind direction is variable and the average speed is less than 5 knots, it is presented as VRB."

Now when I looked at AIP on GEN 3.5 - 12.6.4 (18 Nov 2010 so AFTER issue 5 BT CTP Met publication date June 2010) I read "A variable wind direction is given as VRB and used when the reporting or forecasting of a mean wind direction is not possible, such as in the following conditions: a. light winds (3KT or less). b. when forecasting a single direction is not possible; eg. with a tropical cyclone, or with the passage of a thunderstorm, in which case the forecast wind might for, for example, VRB60KT."

So on this one is it just worth amending the definition of VRB from 5kt to 3kt and also mentioning the additional use of the term VRB on the describing wind page on page 7.2 issue 5?

I have really enjoyed learning from you, I just figured you may keep a list of updates somewhere handy for issue 6, so you may want to consider adding these too it if applicable.

Looking forward SO much to your online performance CPL course, I would love to BETA test, so am leaving this to absolute last (around end of year or early next year) so I can hopefully say I did a BT online course (makes me feel like a did a King School course in my training, plus I would love to give you some feedback if you are open to it!

Until the next post, (ahem that is electronic post, not fence post

Kind Regards

Brook

It was 12000 for many years and the chanage from 12000 to 10000 was made some time ago. I seem to remember making that change in the books, but I must have missed that one.

Thanks for you valuable feed back Brook. I'll check out the other points you have made. The on-line Performance course is getting closer by the day so stay tuned.....

...and we're not just saying that We're filling up the question banks at the moment to feed the online quizzes and exams. Pretty much all of the material is ready so it is end-stage now.

Thanks Bob,

Appreciate that. I know what a massive undertaking this is and I have to say you really have helped so many student pilots.

I am really looking forward to your online course, as I feel this will change the face of aviation schools in Australia, and ultimately provide more consistent learning, easier to understand learning and make us all better pilots!

Brook.

FANTASTIC Richard. I am really excited about this! I think that there is nothing like "watching somebody else demonstrating", and if a picture paints 1000 words thats great, a video, well that's even better!

Hey just a question I have you may be able to help me with (if you see this post before tomorrow morning):

I had a mock exam test that asked me about "a flight planned from Perth to Southern Cross. What is the availability of aerodrome forecasts for Southern Cross"

Now when I turn up my AIP's it says Southern Cross is a class D TAF airport, which as its explained in AIP's is an airport where TAFs are issued after consultation with client.

However the answer is apparently "They are available on request with 8 hours notice"

I for the life of me cant figure out where the 8 hours was sourced. I can however understand the "on request bit".

Does that make sense to you - how would you find that the "on request" turned into 8 hrs. I checked in ERSA and AIP and couldnt see that anywhere.

Hi Bob,

I replied to Richard re a question on Cat D aerodromes in a previous post same forum, still cant find a sensible answer from AIP.

Just another area you could add to in a new version of the Met book, as this one kept tripping me up in the pre test exams:

Suggestion 1
Pages 7.17 of BT CPL Met Issue 5 you have provide a decode on the ARFOR above which is very useful. One thing I cant see however in the decode is a statement representing the visibility, both in terms of overall visibility eg 10km or greater or the restricted visibility ie in this case 5000m SH/RA (5000m in Showers and Rain).

The question I keep getting wrong relates to the visibility where it is NOT specified (in an ARFOR), it would appear unlike a TAF that when Viz is metioned in an ARFOR that it basically is "by default" 10km or greater unless otherwise specified.

That has a big sticking point for me as I have analysed the book cover to cover, and I think it is very well written, it just seems that this conclusion about default vis vs explicit viz in a ARFOR is not reached quite explicity enough (well for me anyway maybe I am a slow learner...)

That was my main point, but if you feel like adding anything else in the way up of updates I just have two OTHER suggestions for the list:

Suggestion 2
Page 7.12 an update of CAVOK definition in BT manual from AIP GEN 3.5 paragraph 12.12 that includes the TCU as well as CB cloud, plus it MAY be worth adding an except or copy and dating it from AIP GEN 3.5 - 13 (you know the weather code and translation table).

Suggestion 3 as above except this time on a related pages in the new rev of the BT manual adding a page with table in the GEN 3.5 - 3.3.3 which is the type of Category of Aerodrome, with maybe some elaboration here, as it may relate to my initial question I asked Richard about a Cat D aerodrome (Southern cross in that case) having a 8 hr request requirement prior to recieving a TAF at the aforementioned airport.

I can imagine you are trying to delink the manual from minor revisions of legistation that come out in AIP's but I think the above would all be really worthwhile!

Just a thought (or several)!!

Thanks again

Brook

Hi Bob and Richard.

Found my answers - might be worth adding to new version:

Cat D aerodrome (or any where non routine forecasts are used) refer to AIP Gen 3.5 - 10.2 "Eight (8) hours notice is required for non-routine forecasts." Worth putting in the next manual just as one more potential trip up.

As far as default conditions METAR / ARFOR, it seems it may be safe to say that unless specified then conditions are good eg 10km viz etc.

See prev comments when you have time, might be worth considering. Just cramming now for the exam (its actually at 11.30am WST)

Brook