Weather/Meterology Books

Technical questions, advice, sharing information etc (aircraft, engines, instruments, weather and such)
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MILO
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Location: Witbank

Weather/Meterology Books

Postby MILO » Fri May 09, 2008 12:28 pm

Are there any good southern hemisphere books out there I can read? I have done a search & there are a couple but they are quite expensive. I have the microlighters handbook & thats got some good basic stuff (except their lows are anticlockwise). I am learning the hard way at the moment.
It looks good at 05:30 so I go to the airfield, take off in low/no wind conditions and then find myself all over the place. Weekend before last I ended up looking down at the dams, they were like glass, 7 minutes outbound & 20 minutes back, some of it with high rates of descent at full power. The only clue first thing in the morning was there was no Witbank pollution visible (VERY abnormal in no wind conditions.)
I know its wind shear, & inversion & thermal effects over the dams and believe the trike will stay in one piece, I just want to be able to see it coming.
Are there any good books out there the forum can recommend?
If you can fly today - leave everything else for tomorrow
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Tumbleweed
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Re: Weather/Meterology Books

Postby Tumbleweed » Sun May 11, 2008 11:26 am

Milo, being close enough, we probably share similar weather. I've stopped trying to read too much into exsisting cloud and wind conditions (at 07h00)and trying to predict conditions on your return (at 10h00), you'll hardly fly. :)

Our Sasol chimney stacks (very high) often contradict the field's windsock, and then often eachother, but definately show wind shear.

Phoning for the compusory cross country R15 weather prediction is not what it was and often not worth the trouble. Jot down their predictions on your destinations conditions as well as at various altitude winds at your times and I think they just give us anything to get this irritating caller off the line. (Why does'nt someone privatise this service and make more money out of a meaningfull service)

Best advice I got was take note of the crappy conditions that you returned in, and know that you've raised your bar a little. but get to fly in all conditions so it's less of a suprise.

Driving to Bloem from 07h00 to 12h00, on observing the radically changing weather. my brat says (So, why does'nt anyone just invent specs that allow you to see wind shear/ thermals/ density change?)
Sling ZU FYE - For Your Entertainment
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DarkHelmet
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Re: Weather/Meterology Books

Postby DarkHelmet » Tue May 13, 2008 10:02 am

Dennis Pagen - Understanding the Sky
Northern Hemisphere but you just turn everything around ;)

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