Navigation and safety

15Weather data

Live wind observations from ground stations shown on the map, and what the station sheet tells you.

Needs internet

What the layer shows#

The weather layer puts live ground station observations on the map. The app describes it as Show live wind observations on the map. Tap a station to see wind, gusts, temperature and more.

It is real measurement, not forecast. That makes it the most direct answer to questions like whether the valley wind has come in, or whether the far side of the range is already blown out.

Fig. 15.1Weather stations on the flight map. Tap one to open its readings.

Caution

This layer needs a connection. Offline the app keeps showing the last set of readings it managed to load, so check the Last update time before you trust a number.

Turning it on#

Where Settings › Weather Data

Stations come per country, from the national weather service. Enable the countries you fly in.

Country Source
Switzerland MeteoSwiss
Austria GeoSphere Austria
Slovenia ARSO
Spain AEMET
  1. Open Settings, then Weather Data.
  2. Switch on the countries you want.
  3. In flight, turn Weather Data on in the Layers section of the flight menu.

Tip

Enable only the countries you actually fly. Every extra country is more markers on the map and more data to load.

Reading a station#

Tapping a station opens its readings. Not every station reports every field.

Wind
The average wind speed. Calm is shown when there is effectively none.
Gust
The peak gust. The gap between wind and gust tells you how rough it is far better than the average alone.
Direction
Where the wind is coming from.
Temperature
Air temperature at the station.
Humidity
Relative humidity.
Sunshine
Recent sunshine, which is a good proxy for whether the trigger is still working.
Rain (10 min)
Precipitation over the last ten minutes.
Pressure
Station pressure.
Last update
When these readings arrived. Always check this.
Fig. 15.2A station sheet, with the data source credited at the bottom.

Caution

A station reads the wind where it stands, usually in a valley or on a summit, at its own height, with its own shelter. It is evidence about the air mass, not a measurement of the air you are about to fly into.

Tip

The most useful reading before launching is a station on the same aspect at a similar height. The most useful reading in the air is the one at your intended landing.