New App provides "visual METARS"

AggieMike88

AggieMike88

Touchdown! Greaser!
Joined
Jan 13, 2010
Messages
20,805
Location
Denton, TX
Display Name
Display name:
The original "I don't know it all" of aviation.
Looks interesting.... just downloaded it to give it a try.

Link to announcement

wx24pilot-METAR.png


wx24pilot-multi-airport-taf.png
 
it's probably me but I found it very difficult to use and understand.
 
rk911 said:
it's probably me but I found it very difficult to use and understand.
Click to expand...
I'm trying to grok it myself.

Sorta shows off that eyecandy doesn't replace utility and function.
 
Yeah, I like the idea (especially the second screenshot, with multiple stations), but I think there would be a more intuitive way to draw the graphs...
 
Yeah, you get three days to try and figure it out.
 
Purdy, but I'll stick with foreflight.
 
I like the idea of a graphical display, but that just doesn't do it. It kinda fails at design. A good design would not make me learn all new symbology, especially without providing a new sort of insight.
 
Graphical visualization must be done right, otherwise it is useless. Same here. If it is not intuitive right off the bat, you might as well read the simple and easy-to-understand textual description.
Injecting text into the graphical representation defeats the purpose of the replacement of text with graphics to begin with. :)
Progress is not a bad thing but it needs to be done smartly, with at least a 24-hr waiting period between the last toke and the first materialization of the idea. :D

Now get off my lawn, dang yungins! :)
 
BigBadLou said:
If it is not intuitive right off the bat, you might as well read the simple and easy-to-understand textual description
Click to expand...
I'm coming to the conclusion that this is the developers main challenge.

ForeFlight's method of decoded text with a simple "stoplight" bit of color is really all we need.

As I read the comments here and try to figure out this app, I'm sorta thinking the developer had a nugget of an idea, ran with it, but didn't get a diverse group like us to try it and provided feedback.
 
I am just trying to understand what they are showing. The winds, ceiling and altimeter all are pretty self explanatory... What is the outer ring with the plane trying to depict?
 
Agreed FFs color coded METARS and TAFs are great, it's the right mix of new and old school.
 
Hurts my head!:mad:
 
Website for the app is www.wx24pilot.com if anyone wants to prowl around there. At first glance, it does a better job explaining how to use the advice than our "guess and poke" method.

I did use their "contact" form to invite the developer to PoA and this thread.
 
I developed the app, not as another source for aviation weather reports, but to interpret and present those reports so I can get what I want quickly. There is nothing hard about reading a TAF or Metar, but 12 enroute tafs, dealing with timezones and the like, figuring out the ETA of each fix, then factoring in personal mins, well that takes some time.

To me after the decoded TAF the next logical presentation was to render TAF segments around a clock, so that's what I did, the Circle View is all based around a 24 hour clock. If you would take about 5 minutes to go through some of the videos and slides to get the fundamentals I think that most would get it. But ask me a question if you want. (Those skinny arcs are Air/Sigmets.)
 
I watched the video tutorials on his website's tab "HOW IT WORKS" and was up and using it quickly. Make sure to do that because it is really a nice interface once you take a minute to do that. Any good GPS I've ever had took a few minutes to get familiarized with..the same thing goes with this app.
 
Video explaining this new app

 
Seems like a solution in search of a problem to me. Getting a feel for weather by reading METARs and TAFs becomes second nature after awhile. This makes me think of the traffic pattern calculator, just in web form.

But hey, if it helps someone or makes interpreting weather faster for them - that's great.
 
How do you sort the list of airports I have added? Adding them was easy and intuitive (so was removing the example ones I don't want to see). But I don't see a way to re-order the list.
 
kayoh190 said:
Seems like a solution in search of a problem to me. Getting a feel for weather by reading METARs and TAFs becomes second nature after awhile. This makes me think of the traffic pattern calculator, just in web form.

But hey, if it helps someone or makes interpreting weather faster for them - that's great.
Click to expand...
Actually, one feature that looked interesting in the video was the flight plan representation.
 
AggieMike88 said:
Actually, one feature that looked interesting in the video was the flight plan representation.
Click to expand...

Hmmm...I'll investigate further. Thanks for ponting that out!
 
The nugget of a good idea is here... But some refining of different bits Might be needed...

One is assuming this is a "static" list of METARS/TAFs like AeroWeather. It isn't. You enter your route into the search and this is showing the current info along your path.

Paxton, in your search box, you also need to provide an easy way to input estimated time of departure. The way you have it now is hard to find.
 
My go to snapshot: http://www.usairnet.com/. Click on "weather" on top.




Also FYI: (since we're on the subject of weather)
https://www.faasafety.gov/SPANS/event_details.aspx?eid=68324
Title:
FREE WEBINAR - Best Tricks Tips and Sites for Self Briefing
Topic:
Tricks, tips and best sites for conducting a safe self briefing.
Date and Time:
Monday, April 18, 2016, starting at 20:30 Eastern Daylight Time Click here to register today!

Select Number:
WP0168324
Location of Seminar:
ONLINE ONLY--Webinar
spacer.gif

16501 Sherman Way
spacer.gif

Van Nuys, CA 91406
Directions to Venue:
Online Webinar Only


There are 4 dates and times to choose from
 
@skylanerg; If the webinar is recorded, please provide the link of where to find it.

I wish to see the material, but the timing is lousy for me.
 
Foreflight should buy this app out and figure out how to implement it. It is cool
 
AggieMike88 said:
How do you sort the list of airports I have added? Adding them was easy and intuitive (so was removing the example ones I don't want to see). But I don't see a way to re-order the list.
Click to expand...

Currently I do not have a reorder button. Its on the long TODO list though.
 
kayoh190 said:
Hmmm...I'll investigate further. Thanks for ponting that out!
Click to expand...

How about a quick visual for Personal Minimums. Press and hold the mins button down for a few seconds then you can select up to 16 different weather parameters to give a quick indication of when those are exceeded. Back in the main screen, tap the mins button and any metar or taf segment that exceeds those will render in black.
 
AggieMike88 said:
The nugget of a good idea is here... But some refining of different bits Might be needed...

One is assuming this is a "static" list of METARS/TAFs like AeroWeather. It isn't. You enter your route into the search and this is showing the current info along your path.

Paxton, in your search box, you also need to provide an easy way to input estimated time of departure. The way you have it now is hard to find.
Click to expand...

I just released the app in December and didn't really start marketing till March. So its young with room for growth.

Yes, I'm redoing that so on the search page there will be flight parameters and a more sophisticated flight planning - with TKAS instead of GS. Right now I'm working on adding pireps to the mix, which should be submitted to the Apple store by Monday.
 
Paxton,

After giving this a decent shakedown, I consider it a good start. But it has a way to go before I would become a subscriber. Especially since there are other tools out there that do most of what you do (and almost all of what I need) that I have become comfortable with. The concept is good, but I think you published a bit early and are missing various bits of polish and improvement.

When you do publish a major upgrade that includes much of that long To Do list, do let me and the others know. And I would hope you would re-offer the free trial so we can see and evaluate the updated version.

I would also suggest inviting many in this forum to be your beta testers. We have a good diverse group who are willing to try new things and provide feedback.
 
AggieMike88 said:
Paxton,

After giving this a decent shakedown, I consider it a good start. But it has a way to go before I would become a subscriber. Especially since there are other tools out there that do most of what you do (and almost all of what I need) that I have become comfortable with. The concept is good, but I think you published a bit early and are missing various bits of polish and improvement.

When you do publish a major upgrade that includes much of that long To Do list, do let me and the others know. And I would hope you would re-offer the free trial so we can see and evaluate the updated version.

I would also suggest inviting many in this forum to be your beta testers. We have a good diverse group who are willing to try new things and provide feedback.
Click to expand...


Thx for your feedback, but I'm curious what apps you use. I am not aware of any comparable apps that can pull up enroute airports showing Metars, TAFs, TFRs, and Air/Sigmets on one screen with factoring personal mins, in a visual format, but I could be wrong. For me its about speed, I can understand a report in full detail of the mentioned reports for a flight (lets say 12 TAFs) in under a minute. I use foreflight and think its a great app and prefer it over my GTN750, but map based systems are inherently slow and getting the same information for the same flight, well its gonna take a lot longer than a minute.

I did extend the initial trial for 7 days and you can extend that for 3 weeks in exchange for a valid email. I do have a beta user group base setup, and always welcome critical thought. The beta group isn't really for personal evaluation but for Ux and implementation discussion as how best to communicate Wx. If a pilot uses and benefits from the app they are more than welcome to join the group, just send a request on the website.

Thx
 
I just scanned this thread and did not find a reference to Paxton's intro for this app on YouTube.
A very good 3-minute intro...

Given that some folks love raw text, others translations, this looks to be the next step... and you can still see the raw text if that's what you want. I like what I see.

[Paxton, is it a 3 day or 3 month trial?]

:)
 
I'm very pleased with Aviation Weather. For iPad, iPhone, or Androids. It'll do weather along a route, favorites, local weather, etc., and with graphic parameters (green, yellow, red) you set, and a time slider shows what the weather will look like in X hours. It also shows notams, winds aloft, history, pireps, airmets and sigmets, radar, etc.
 
Last edited:
[Paxton, is it a 3 day or 3 month trial?]

:)[/QUOTE]

Right now it's a 7 day trial. On the in app purchase page there is an "Extend Trial" button. If u submit ur email u can get an additional 3 weeks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top