Books/DVD to Learn Weather Before PPL or Groundschool

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jbwebtech

Filing Flight Plan
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jbwebtech
Hi I am planning to get my PPL within a few years or so but I am very interested in weather. Not so much flying in it (yet!), but what it is, how to recognize it, and how to predict it. What I mean is, how to really and truly read a doppler and jetstream, but also to recognize clouds and patterns. Not an aviation book per se, but more of a weather book, but as it relates to aviation would be awesome (go or no-go, what to fly around, when and why to use deicing, etc).

I have found about four dozen books on flying in weather, VFR weather, flying in bad weather, IFR weather, ATC & weather, but really am lacking the knowledge and training to be able to make decisions from the ground about the weather.

Has anyone seen the DVD "Flying Weather (Air Facts Series)" by Richard L. Collins? What do you think of it and how it would relate to my situation?

Thanks for your help!
 
You can start with the FAA book "Aviation Weather" available for free in .pdf form here. I keep a copy on my iPad.
 
Aviation Weather is good. It's in the 'library'. :)
 
Go to www.avwxworkshops.com and take advantage of Scott's free stuff...then consider becoming a member.

Bob Gardner
 
jbwebtech said:
Hi I am planning to get my PPL within a few years or so but I am very interested in weather. Not so much flying in it (yet!), but what it is, how to recognize it, and how to predict it. What I mean is, how to really and truly read a doppler and jetstream, but also to recognize clouds and patterns. Not an aviation book per se, but more of a weather book, but as it relates to aviation would be awesome (go or no-go, what to fly around, when and why to use deicing, etc).

I have found about four dozen books on flying in weather, VFR weather, flying in bad weather, IFR weather, ATC & weather, but really am lacking the knowledge and training to be able to make decisions from the ground about the weather.

Has anyone seen the DVD "Flying Weather (Air Facts Series)" by Richard L. Collins? What do you think of it and how it would relate to my situation?

Thanks for your help!
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You are gonna have to learn more about weather than you want. The FAA material is the first place to start. In fact, go to www.aviationweather.gov and get your feet wet.
 
Thanks a lot you guys! I appreciate the quick help and the links (and look forward to any new thoughts anyone may have....)
 
Weather Reports, Forecasts & Flight Planning by Terry Lankford. The book is a critical must read for those who want to decode (in plain language) the aviation products and gives great examples in each. I make it a mandatory read for my Aviation Weather students, and each of them have walked away with a great deal more knowledge than my instrument ground course students could ever hope to (aka much more detailed than the IRC books/texts can provide). I wish I could make my ground school students buy this, but alas a suggestion merely falls on deaf ears.
 
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Awesome help guys thanks again. I ended up snagging a copy of Weather Reports, Forecasts & Flight Planning by Terry Lankford for $4 from thriftbooks.com, plus the FAA's Aviation Weather and then all the great online resources will keep me busy for a while. Yay!
 
bobmrg said:
Flying America's Weather - Tom Horne (AOPA weather guy)
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Snagged a copy of this as well, looks really nice.

bobmrg said:
The Weather Book - Jack Williams (USA Today weather editor)
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Thanks for the non-aviation recommendation, this could be a good starting point from a grade school level (which is what I need!).

:)
 
I also found Essentials of Meteorology: An Invitation to the Atmosphere by C. Donald Ahrens which turned out to be really cool for anyone looking.
 
JB, as mentioned earlier, Scott D's www.avwxworkshops.com is a primo site for your education needs.

Another service Scott will provide is some one on one interaction to help you develop a "roadmap" of interpreting the imagery and data that you find in the various weather products. There is a cost, but it's reasonable for the value of info obtained.

You pick a cross country flight that you might do, and Scott will show you what to pull in what sequence, what parameters to use, and explain what it is you're looking at.

You will come away with a improved understanding of how to use the products that are out there and a higher level of weather decision making.

More info can be found here: http://avwxworkshops.com/online-training.php
 
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