DUATs any use for Soaring? [USA]

Is the DUAT aviation weather resource of any use for a glider pilot to
get weather information useful to a soaring forecast? Is it worth the
trouble - is there anything there that cannot be found elsewhere on
the net?
Can you easily get current doppler/weather radar images & satellite
images with cell phone web access?

ref: www.duat.com

Chris

Soaring Forecast? as far as finding out the Thermal Index.. not really
Getting general TAF and Winds Aloft and the all important NOTAMS (GPS
Jamming, TFRs, Airports Closed, Temporary Towers for airshows)
Priceless..

BT

"chris" wrote in message
...
Is the DUAT aviation weather resource of any use for a glider pilot to
get weather information useful to a soaring forecast? Is it worth the
trouble - is there anything there that cannot be found elsewhere on
the net?
Can you easily get current doppler/weather radar images & satellite
images with cell phone web access?

ref: www.duat.com

Chris

I Agree.

After checking Dr. Jack's, Unisys, and looking at the Skew't I may
think that it will be a beautiful day, but then after checking DUAT I
realise that it wouldn't be safe - due to forecast surface winds or
thunderstorms or whatever. I consider the DUAT forecast to be my
safety check: "Is it safe to fly today?!"

Chris
F2

Dr. Jack's: http://www.drjack.info

Unisys: http://weather.unisys.com

Skew-t: http://www-frd.fsl.noaa.gov/mab/soundings


On Jul 11, 5:21*pm, "BT" wrote:
Soaring Forecast? as far as finding out the Thermal Index.. not really
Getting general TAF and Winds Aloft and the all important NOTAMS (GPS
Jamming, TFRs, Airports Closed, Temporary Towers for airshows)
Priceless..

BT

On Jul 12, 9:46*am, Fox Two wrote:
I Agree.

After checking Dr. Jack's, Unisys, and looking at the Skew't I may
think that it will be a beautiful day, but then after checking DUAT I
realise that it wouldn't be safe - due to forecast surface winds or
thunderstorms or whatever. *I consider the DUAT forecast to be my
safety check: "Is it safe to fly today?!"

Chris
F2

Dr. Jack's:http://www.drjack.info

Unisys:http://weather.unisys.com

Skew-t: *http://www-frd.fsl.noaa.gov/mab/soundings

On Jul 11, 5:21*pm, "BT" wrote:



Soaring Forecast? as far as finding out the Thermal Index.. not really
Getting general TAF and Winds Aloft and the all important NOTAMS (GPS
Jamming, TFRs, Airports Closed, Temporary Towers for airshows)
Priceless..

BT- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


I always log into DUATs before leaving for the gliderport to create a
"record".

My understanding is that it creates an electronic record to verify
that you actually did a pre-flight briefing before flying. I don't do
it to check on soaring conditions I do it for TFR's. Here in the
SOCAL area, TFR's can pop up during the day because of wildfires. In
the event I unintentionally violate one I can at least prove that I
did check prior to flight and that at that time it wasn't posted.

This was something that was recommended to me by the flight instructor
during my last BFR. It only takes a couple minutes and is great
insurance.

Just my two cents.
FC Norton (FCZ)
HpH 304CZ

not all TFRs may be posted at NOTAMS.. to get them all out of DUATS you may
need to list a route of flight.
If you are flying local.. then an "area brief" with 50nm radius should work.

Also check out http://tfr.faa.gov/tfr2/list.jsp
you can sort by state

Sadly.. this does not require login, so there is no electronic record that
you checked it, just your word.

BT


"fcnorton" wrote in message
...
On Jul 12, 9:46 am, Fox Two wrote:
I Agree.

After checking Dr. Jack's, Unisys, and looking at the Skew't I may
think that it will be a beautiful day, but then after checking DUAT I
realise that it wouldn't be safe - due to forecast surface winds or
thunderstorms or whatever. I consider the DUAT forecast to be my
safety check: "Is it safe to fly today?!"

Chris
F2

Dr. Jack's:http://www.drjack.info

Unisys:http://weather.unisys.com

Skew-t: http://www-frd.fsl.noaa.gov/mab/soundings

On Jul 11, 5:21 pm, "BT" wrote:



Soaring Forecast? as far as finding out the Thermal Index.. not really
Getting general TAF and Winds Aloft and the all important NOTAMS (GPS
Jamming, TFRs, Airports Closed, Temporary Towers for airshows)
Priceless..

BT- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


I always log into DUATs before leaving for the gliderport to create a
"record".

My understanding is that it creates an electronic record to verify
that you actually did a pre-flight briefing before flying. I don't do
it to check on soaring conditions I do it for TFR's. Here in the
SOCAL area, TFR's can pop up during the day because of wildfires. In
the event I unintentionally violate one I can at least prove that I
did check prior to flight and that at that time it wasn't posted.

This was something that was recommended to me by the flight instructor
during my last BFR. It only takes a couple minutes and is great
insurance.

Just my two cents.
FC Norton (FCZ)
HpH 304CZ

"BT" wrote:
Soaring Forecast? as far as finding out the Thermal Index.. not really
Getting general TAF and Winds Aloft and the all important NOTAMS (GPS
Jamming, TFRs, Airports Closed, Temporary Towers for airshows)
Priceless..

Fox Two wrote:
I Agree.

After checking Dr. Jack's, Unisys, and looking at the Skew't I may
think that it will be a beautiful day, but then after checking DUAT I
realise that it wouldn't be safe - due to forecast surface winds or
thunderstorms or whatever. I consider the DUAT forecast to be my
safety check: "Is it safe to fly today?!"

I use to use Duats when I was on dialup , but dropped it as soon as I
could high speed access was available. The biggest problem was 90% of
what it sent me was worthless to me, making it hard to dig out the
useful 10%. Is that still the case, or can you tailor what you get, so
you only get what's useful to you?

Currently, I just click on one bookmark, which opens a tabbed window
with Blipmaps, the interactive soundings from NOAA, satellite loops from
UCAR, point forecasts and prog charts from NOAA, TFRs from NIFC (more
reliable and up to date the FAA TFR site), and NOTAMS from the FAA. How
would Duats improve on this, other than recording you came to the site?

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
* Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

* Updated! "Transponders in Sailplanes" http://tinyurl.com/y739x4
* New Jan '08 - sections on Mode S, TPAS, ADS-B, Flarm, more

* "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" at www.motorglider.org

I keep a "stored route" in DUATS that makes it easy to get the Temperatures
Aloft for two airports that bracket my usual flying area. I then use the
average of the two temperature profiles in my own thermal forecast
spreadsheet.

"BT" wrote in message
...
Soaring Forecast? as far as finding out the Thermal Index.. not really
Getting general TAF and Winds Aloft and the all important NOTAMS (GPS
Jamming, TFRs, Airports Closed, Temporary Towers for airshows)
Priceless..

BT

"chris" wrote in message
...
Is the DUAT aviation weather resource of any use for a glider pilot to
get weather information useful to a soaring forecast? Is it worth the
trouble - is there anything there that cannot be found elsewhere on
the net?
Can you easily get current doppler/weather radar images & satellite
images with cell phone web access?

ref: www.duat.com

Chris