More and more pilots are using YAWS ...
Activitae's free weather service for GA pilots - specially designed for low bandwidth mobile devices is accessible here. YAWS accesses the venerable and respected US National Weather Service servers to get your data fast. A typical call via your phone service provider to activitae.com will cost 3 UK pence or 5 US cents; the TAF, METAR, NOTAM or graphical data you access is free! With activitae's 99.7% up-time, YAWS data is accurate and available when and where you need it.

Already a YAWS user? But you might not know there is more to YAWS than just TAF and METAR data. Perhaps you have been using YAWS via one of the original interfaces. With a modern phone you may be able to get more more useful graphic information at your fingertips. Have another look now that YAWS has undergone a complete rework with many additions; see here for details of choosing the correct YAWS version suitable for your phone. Help spread the word; put this flyer on your club notice board!

A new Pre-Flight Plog has been introduced. Now you can get almost all your pre-flight data from one interactive interface and neat, easy to read printed output is only a click away. Whether you are a new pilot or old hand, check it out!
YAWS has an easy to remember dot mobi address!
Just use yaws.mobi from your mobile device! And remember YAWS has more data, so if it's not on YAWS it won't be on theirs either!

actiVitae!
actiVitae!
YAWS - Yet Another Weather Service  

Quick fix? See how to get YAWS on your cell/mobile or see it in action now!
Or want to know more?

YAWS now has a family of products. It is called 'YAWS Smartphone'.

Reflecting the way user behaviour is prompting the use of cell phones,
the YAWS version suitable for phones having an internet browser, has undergone massive change.
The structure is:-
  • YAWS Smartphone
    • Access TAF & METAR data in a fast, easy-to-use interface.
      • YAWS Extra
        • World graphical aviation data
        • World NOTAM
        • ICAO lookup - decode
      • UK YAWS
        • United Kingdom graphical aviation data including MET Office forms 215/4, VFR depiction, radar and satellite images.
      • EU YAWS
        • European graphical data including winds aloft, VFR depiction, satellite, rainfall radar and visibility by country.
      • NA YAWS
        • North American graphical aviation data including winds aloft, VFR depiction, radar by State - some States having radar by County, analysis charts, SIGMETS and warnings.
      • Possible future additions eg Ozi Yaws for Australasia.
    • Multi YAWS
      • Find TAF & METAR for multiple airfields.
    • Geo YAWS
      • Find TAF & METAR for a geographic region defined by map coordinates.
    • Route YAWS
      • Find TAF & METAR for a route defined by map coordinates.

The display of graphical data on mobile devices is set to grow. All cell phone users should try to access YAWS Smartphone as the starting point of choice. Phone browser settings may need experimentation to ensure images are rendered in the best possible way. Try to set your device so as not to cache (store) images.

However, if either your phone has no proper browser or your ISP restricts web access, but the phone can run Java programs, then Opera Mini is thoroughly recommended. Read about it and send to your mobile phone here.
For experienced Opera Mini users there is a new beta version, currently in testing, (June 2007), which installs alongside the original Opera Mini. NEW

In areas of the World with a less than well developed phone infrastructure the older, text only, service at http://activitae.com/wap is an alternative for TAF and METAR data. But there will be no further development with the WAP service.

For further help on phones and access to YAWS, see the Phone help page with example interface

 

 
Plogs - various flavours  

Produce a printable plogs ready for your kneeboard.

The following are web-browser based and make automatic calculations - no special software is required, but you do need Javascript enabled in your browser. You can easily print and save routes from your browser.
As always, check calculated results.

Excel Plogs.

  • Microsoft Office software required for these Excel automated forms almost all lack any attempt at aesthetics! There are hundreds of versions around; try one , two , three - these are neater than many but check their accuracy!

Plain Vanilla Plogs,
where you still have to do the hard work, come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Almost every pilot has there own 'best form' design. You may find some examples you like by following the links below.

If you need to do your own calculations:-.
Holy calculating kneesheets, Batman!
  
Airport and FIR Briefing  

European Aeronautical Information Services Database

  • EAD Basic: Easy Access Eurpoean Aeronautical Information. Needs free registration. New!

NOTAMS online

Route planning Safety Airport data online Airport Frequency Charts - UK World Airport Frequencies Searchable Database World Airport Information Services (AIS Sites)

LFAT Compulsory customs clearance:

  • If you are channel hopping to Le Touquet compulsory notification for customs clearance is now needed 2 hours before arrival.
    Use the online web form. (Until 01 Nov 23:59)

World Annual Sunset/Sunrise Table
Warning Pling
  
TAFs and METARs Online  
TAFs and METARs Online YAWS (Yet Another Weather Service)
  • YAWS Smartphone! YAWS comes to your pda or modern cell phone. (Compliant XHTML - suitable for more mobile devices!)
 
 
ICAO code/decode  
ICAO Lookup: Latitude, Longitude and TAF availability  
Synoptic Charts  
Surface analysis
Satellite Imagery  
Satellite images
 
Current and Forecast UK Weather  
UK Rainfall Radar European Rainfall Radar UK Weather Summary

 

    
GPS in the cockpit?  

Having a hand-held GPS has done wonders for my confidence in my navigation accuracy. But having a GPS as a secondary navigational aide is not without hazards; the books at cockpitgps.com are well worth reading to assist in avoiding common pitfalls. (Scroll down to the bottom of the opening page for downloads.)

The UK's CAA Safety Sense leaflet # 25 is also important reading.

Garmin have two useful guides for GPS users; a basic introduction and using a GPS with paper maps - not specifically for aviation. Both need Adobe Reader.

Another general on-line book for GPS users.

GPS in the IFR System: A Guide from the Ground Up

Partial Panel + VFR GPS

if you are thinking of buying a second user GPS then you need to know what Garmin say about some of their older models:-

"Due to the rapid growth of database information, databases are no longer available for download for the GPS 95 AVD. Support of the GPS 90 and GPS 95XL databases has also been discontinued due to significant increases in the size of the Jeppesen database. No further updates will be available for these units, however, we have posted the last available update for the GPS 90 and 95XL for those who have not updated their units to that point. The GPS 92 and GPS III Pilot have been further segmented into a number of new regions, so please ensure that you select the correct region for download."

 
GPS software  

EasyGPS is free software that can help program your hand-held with routes and way points. The interface is clunky and non-intuitive. However it is free!

EasyGPS needs accurate airport/navaid data. To avoid error-prone hand-entering of data, navaid.com/GPX/ provide a data generator for any region you specify. Save the data as a gpx file to read in to EasyGPS. See the above online book at cockpitgps.com for more details.

GPS Waypoints for UK Towns and Motorway service stations. A zip file.

Garmin add-ons

  
Reading and video for days you can't fly ...  

LASORS_2006 together in one easily understandable book all the flight crew licensing information otherwise found in JAR-FCL, the UK ANO, AICs and the old CAPs 53/54. (Around 8Mb Adobe pdf file)

American Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) FAA

Several cockpit videos of altiport and glacier takeoffs and landings.

Adrian Cybriwsky, an FAA CFI, is writing an informative and authoritative article on the hazards facing pilots training in the US intending to fly in the UK and vice versa. It is work in progress.

See How It Flies: A new spin on the perceptions, procedures, and principles of flight by John S. Denker. But is he paranoid or what? I tried to load his book into Adobe Acrobat to read as a pdf file offline - My IP address got banned by his site for my trouble. Be careful to tip-toe around this guy!

Power Off Approaches This is much more than my instructor told me!

  
Weight and Balance  
G-RSKR weight and balance calculator  
Radio Traffic  

Airforce 1 landing at Heathrow Tuesday 18 November 2003
compressed RT for last 15 minutes of flight . - one .wav file 1.5Mb download/play

Practice making sense of live Air Traffic Control transmissions. Listen to ATC traffic around the world. Unfortunately, in the good old backward and paranoid UK, regulations prevent the re-broadcasting of ATC transmissions. You might want to ask your MP why!
The ATC audio streams linked to here may not be active now, nor are they necessarily active at the same time!

See real time traffic movements around several US airports

A very odd volmet station sent to me by Tony Ling from Proma, found on 10405Khz 06:00 UTC 01:04:05 - an mp3 file.

Want to improve your Franglais for those channel (La Manche variety) hops?
Using Franglais in the circuit.

 
What Else?  

www.freechecklists.net - hundreds of free downloadable aircraft checklists, pilot's notes, weight and balance spreadsheets, and more for Cessna 150s to Boeing 747s.

Wake tubulence as art?

Jeppesen Desktop Calender

Pilotfriend. US flying enthusiast web-site.

Passenger Briefing Card and when that doesn't work you could always try this!

VOR simulator

V terms and what they mean?

Unusual aviation photographs

Ever wondered what professional pilots earn?

Everything you wanted to know about map folding but were too afraid to ask!

Looking for a parcel service? DON'T use UPS ughh! A tale of woe and poor service..

  
The Small Print
n

Contact:
Report database errors, omissions and wish lists here.

Disclaimer:
Please read the conditions attached to using this site!
Yet Another Weather Service
If it's not on YAWS, it won't be on anyone else's!

YAWS is at

Search
this site   web