Live & Recorded Aviation Weather Classes
Are you looking for a more structured approach to aviation weather training? If so, you should plan to attend one or more live classes by AvWxTraining. Each class is taught by CFI & former NWS meteorologist, Dr. Scott Dennstaedt.
At AvWxTraining, we use Google Meet for all of our live classes. Every class will have time reserved at the end for the attendees to ask questions. Each class will be recorded and a link to the recording and a PDF of the slides will be provided within 36 hours. Therefore, it is not mandatory that you attend each live class to get the most from the course.
Please check back at the end of summer for the next live class that will cover In Flight Weather Essentials.
Weather Essentials and Advanced Weather Essentials for Pilots Combo
Purchase both the Weather Essentials and Advanced Weather Essentials for Pilots recorded classes and save! Together, these two programs contain over 18 hours of unique aviation weather training. You will receive a downloaded PDF that contains a table of contents, hyperlinks to all of the unlisted videos of each class and hyperlinks to PDFs containing the slides for each class. See details of each class below. Please note that the contents are for your personal use only and should not be shared or posted online. We appreciate your cooperation.
Weather Essentials, Advanced Weather Essentials and Skew-T Weather Essentials for Pilots Triple Combo
Purchase all three classes to include the Weather Essentials, Advanced Weather Essentials and Skew-T Weather Essentials for Pilots recorded classes and save even more! These three programs contain over 28 hours of aviation weather training. You will receive a downloaded PDF that contains a table of contents, hyperlinks to all of the unlisted videos for each class and hyperlinks to PDFs containing the slides for each class. See details of each class below. Please note that the contents are for your personal use only and should not be shared or posted online. We appreciate your cooperation.
Weather Essentials for Pilots
The syllabus for Weather Essentials for Pilots isn't designed to overwhelm you with a ton of advanced meteorology concepts. At the other extreme, don't expect the class to be a bunch of lessons on how to decode a raw METAR, TAF or PIREP. Moreover, it is not meant to teach you how to use the EZWxBrief progressive web app, nor will you learn how to read a Skew-T log (p) diagram. Instead, the bulk of the lessons are product-centric and will focus on building the necessary foundation to get the most from the weather guidance that all pilots should be using to make more confident decisions prior to closing the door on the cockpit to depart.
In a nutshell, this 12-week course is specifically directed at certificated private/commercial pilots, flight instructors and designated pilot examiners who feel their aviation weather knowledge is significantly lacking. Putting it succinctly, this is meant to be a slight notch above a beginner level. For most students attending this twelve week course, 20% of the material will be a review of basic aviation weather topics and the other 80% will be new or untaught material to focus on those gaps in knowledge that most certificated pilots possess.
Syllabus includes -
- Surface observations
- Pilot weather reports
- Ground-based radar
- Graphical AIRMETs (G-AIRMETs)
- SIGMETs
- Center Weather Advisories (CWAs)
- Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts (TAFs)
- Area Forecast Discussions (AFDs)
- Surface analyses and prog charts
- Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts (QPF)
- Probability of precipitation (PoP)
- Convective outlooks from the Storm Prediction Center (SPC)
- Forecast radar
- Forecast echo top heights
- Probabilistic thunderstorm forecasts
- Model Output Statistics (MOS)
- Current and Forecast Icing Products (CIP/FIP)
- Graphical Turbulence Guidance (GTG) Product
...and more.
Please note that the contents are for your personal use only and should not be shared or posted online. We appreciate your cooperation.
Advanced Weather Essentials for Pilots
This class has been designed to take you beyond the basics with a focus on the entire briefing process with emphasis on how to integrate all of the available weather guidance to minimize your exposure to adverse weather. Three of the ten classes will consist of a mock route using live weather at the time the class was held.
Syllabus includes -
- Class 1 - Review of weather forecasts and observations
- Class 2 - Elements of the big picture weather
- Class 3 - Constant pressure charts (Part 1)
- Class 4 - Constant pressure charts (Part 2)
- Class 5 - Icing guidance
- Class 6 - Thunderstorm guidance
- Class 7 - Turbulence guidance
- Class 8 - Extended-range flight planning scenario
- Class 9 - Short-range flight planning scenario
- Class 10 - NOWcast flight planning scenario
Please note that the contents are for your personal use only and should not be shared or posted online. We appreciate your cooperation.
Skew-T Weather Essentials
This class is less about learning how to use the Skew-T log (p) diagram and more about learning the fundamental principles and building blocks of aviation meteorology. The tool makes for a great canvas or backdrop to teach you about what causes the formation of clouds, fog, airframe icing, turbulence, and thunderstorms, just to name a few. In other words, you need to understand these basic principles of weather first, before mastering how to interpret the Skew-T log (p) diagram for your preflight weather planning and analysis.
Please note: since this class was held, the instance of the Skew-T diagram primarily used as examples was from a web site hosted by NOAA (rucsoundings.noaa.gov). Due to the dismantling of NOAA by the Trump administration, this site has been permanently shut down. However, there are other sources of the Skew-T diagram to include Tropical Tidbits, Pivotal Weather and TwisterData just to name a few.
In a nutshell, this 12-week course is specifically directed at certificated private/commercial pilots, flight instructors and designated pilot examiners that want to really learn the science and application of the Skew-T log (p) diagram. It is appropriate for pilots with and without an instrument rating. Putting it succinctly, this is meant to be a slight notch above the intermediate level. For most students attending this 12-week course, 20% of the material will be a review of basic aviation weather concept and the other 80% will be new or untaught material to focus on those gaps in knowledge that most certificated pilots possess.
Syllabus includes -
- Introduction to the Skew-T diagram and radiosonde observations
- Fundamental properties
- The base diagram
- Lapse rates & buoyancy
- Mixing ratio, wind & inversions
- Parcel theory
- Stability indices (Part 1)
- Stability indices (Part 2)
- Cloud bases & tops
- Airframe icing (Part 1)
- Airframe icing (Part 2)
- Turbulence
Please note that the contents are for your personal use only and should not be shared or posted online. We appreciate your cooperation.