Weather briefing sites

[gellisdds]

So I am curious as to what you folks use for your weather briefings. Do you still call the FSS? Do you use multiple different sites or just one? If so what are they?

I personally have found that the Lockheed Martin FSS website is excellent. It gives you exactly what a briefer would give you over the phone. You can get the info in plain English as well.
https://lmfsweb.afss.com/Website/#!/

So what are you folks using?

[FlyingRon]

I use weathermeister.com. It has the nicest presentation of any of the sites I've used.

[Kyle Boatright]

I use

wunderground.com

and

http://www.aviationweather.gov/adds/

They have different strengths, but both provide very useful information.

[Auburntsts]

I use a combination of sites starting with the general public use sites and get more aviation related the closer I get to departure. i hate to admit it but I still use CSC Duats vice LM's site--just habit. Here's some of the other sites I use:

https://www.wunderground.com/
http://www.aviationweather.gov/
http://rucsoundings.noaa.gov/

[Mike M]

Preferred briefing site? Latest info I heard during forum at Sun n Fun given by CSC duats folks indicated the only FAA/NTSB recognized official briefings come from FSS and/or Duat vendors CSC and LockheedMartin. Anybody else is repackaging the info and while valuable, is not recognized as an "approved" briefing. True or false, not sure, but FSS or either Duat will show as a valid brief so recommend you use one. Who do I use? I've been using NOAA, L/M, found CSC is easier for local briefs so will start using them for that. Also Avare charts the Notams well, AviationSentry is handy if you have a subscription, and AirNav is great for planning fuel stops on cross countries. Which do I prefer, straight slot or Phillips? Both are great tools but choose the one that fits your screw.

updated 2 jul - i have discovered that Foreflight also records one's briefing and it uses FSS/DUAT vendor sources so it meets the sniff test.

[Byron J. Covey]

I use http://www.usairnet.com/cgi-bin/launch/code.cgi?Submit=Go&sta=KLEE&state=FL but not for an official briefing.

Also use ForeFlight to get current weather and forecasts.


BJC

[Auburntsts]

So I went back and checked out the Lock-Mart site as it's been awhile and really liked it. I think I'll start using it vs CSC Duats.

[dougbush]

For long range forecasts, I use the Weekly Planner https://weather.com/maps/planner
And NWS Graphical Forecast http://graphical.weather.gov/sectors/conus.php?element=PoP12
And Unisys Weather http://weather.unisys.com/mos/mos_depict.php?inv=0&t=12h


The day of, I start with the FAA TFR Map http://tfr.faa.gov/tfr_map_ims/html/index.html
Then ADDS, sometimes USAirNet, Future Radar https://weather.com/weather/radar/interactive/l/USWI0524:1:US, Hourly Weather https://weather.com/weather/hourbyhour/l/USWI0524:1:US
Then Duats for my official briefing.

[flytoboat]

What is a legal weather briefing?

http://ipadpilotnews.com/2016/03/quit-worrying-thing-official-weather-briefing/

[Mike M]

What is a legal weather briefing?

http://ipadpilotnews.com/2016/03/quit-worrying-thing-official-weather-briefing/

An official weather briefing is the one you can prove presented the info you needed to have. Or should have but didn't present the info that would have prevented your weather-related event. Depends on which side of the courtroom you're on. Disclaimer - this is neither an "approved" nor "official" opinion :)

[FlyingRon]

The FAA does have the QICP program. However, as aluded to above, for most of us we just need to be assured that our provider is "good enough."

[turbo]

I use weathermeister.com. It has the nicest presentation of any of the sites I've used.

ditto.

[gbrasch]

ditto. There is (was?) an issue with weathermeister that was brought to their attention some time ago that they never fixed to my knowledge. If you get a weather briefing, it will only give you NOTAMS along your route of flight UNLESS you are within a close physical distance to the actual center location. May not seem like a big deal, but if you want to get the big picture in case of a deviation, you will not. They were very unresponsive to suggestions and to fix another bug that deleted a lat/long if you edited your route. I use Foreflight myself.