Weather flight
The weather flight - in military aviation, pre-flight weather reconnaissance - is a flight to specify the current weather situation and the ornithological situation in the area of the upcoming flights and flight movements . Practice combat and / or combat aircraft can be used. The mission order for weather flight is part of the flight commands given by the squadron commodore or the commanding officer of the air force . The data, results and observation of the pre-flight weather reconnaissance are thoroughly analyzed by the “flight meteorological service” at the air base and are part of the instructions and orders for the pilot or flight crew .
Civil aviation pursues similar objectives. A METeorological Aerodrome Report is created there for individual airports and a Terminal Aerodrome Forecast for large airports .
Planning and execution
Weather flights take place close to the military flight orders and are usually carried out on one or more defined flight routes and in directions from which a change in the weather situation is to be expected. This results in the specially specified flight profile that must be adhered to. This enables forecasts of important key data such as the height above the ground of cloud lower and upper limit , degree of coverage , cloud layering, dangerous weather phenomena, wind direction and speed, horizontal visibility during take-off and landing, visibility of the natural horizon in the intended area of flights. Depending on the season, ornithological phenomena such as bird migration are given special consideration.
References
- Dr. G. Hiemann: Military air traffic control . 1st edition. Military ext. d. GDR, Berlin 1987, ISBN 3-327-00310-6 .