Flight Planning and Weather
Whether you are a new or experienced pilot flight planning is of paramount importance to any flight you undertake. A well organised flight plan can mean the difference between a turbulent flight and a calm one. Knowing to some degree what to expect in terms of the weather really makes a difference to most flights in terms of safety and also fuel consumption. A warning about what weather the aircraft is heading into can help the pilot to make calculated decisions. Meeting bad weather could cause a flight to use more fuel however a good flight plan can take this into account and ensure that all aircraft have not only an alternate airport to turn to but also enough fuel to make the extra journey as safely as possible. It was not so long ago that flight planning took days of calculations which were done by hand; this of course was not only very difficult but also open to error. Today we can enjoy fast and accurate results thanks to sophisticated flight planning software and with today’s climate of high fuel prices and eco awareness, it is increasingly important for aviation to keep up with efforts to reduce carbon footprints and to minimise fuel wastage.
Flight Planning, Weather and Flight
As weather patterns are never fully predictable there will always be a certain amount of variation involved in flight planning. As expected, fuel consumption needs to be worked out well ahead of a journey and the expected weather patterns along the route are looked at with great care and detail. The wind speed and direction can significantly affect an aircraft’s ability to fly well and this has a knock-on effect with regards to fuel consumption. Planning a journey takes into account many variables with regards to the weather and the time of year. When an aircraft flies into unexpected bad weather, especially near to its final destination, it can sometimes be necessary for the aircraft to land at its alternate airport. This is usually down to unfavourable conditions on the ground and fog and rain for instance can affect visibility and make landing impossible. So if a pilot is forced to fly past the original planned-for destination or circle for longer than expected before landing then it stands to reason the aircraft will use up more of its fuel. Running out of fuel on a commercial flight is almost unheard of today thanks to the efforts and expertise of many specialists and highly technical flight planning software.