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Writer's pictureDr. Scott Dennstaedt

December 2024 EZNews

Hello and thank you for taking the time to read the 44th issue of EZNews!


We value those members who have chosen to enable automatic renewal of their EZWxBrief membership on a monthly basis. If you haven't done so, please sign in and visit the User Profile page and click on the Renew button. By doing this, you can establish your monthly renewal with a Visa, MasterCard, or Discover credit card. This ensures that you remain connected and continue to enjoy the simplicity of EZWxBrief all year long.


Are you new to EZWxBrief?


For members new to EZWxBrief, you won't find EZWxBrief in the App Store or Google Play Store. For the best user experience, EZWxBrief is optimized to run as a progressive web app (PWA) and must be installed on your device which takes less than 10 seconds per device. Follow the instructions in this video or visit the 180+ page Pilots Guide for more information on how to install EZWxBrief as a PWA on all of your devices. For example, here's how to install EZWxBrief on your iPhone or iPad...it's that EZ!



Now open for registration - Advanced Weather Essentials for Pilots


The next live class, ADVANCED Weather Essentials for Pilots will begin on Monday, January 13, 2025 and last for 10 weeks (there will not be a class on Monday, February 17). Early registration has begun so you can reserve your spot before general registration begins on December 16, 2024. The early-bird tuition for the class is $350 if registered on or before December 15, 2024. Price will increase to $395 after this date. Note that a waiting list will be started once the class reaches maximum capacity - more than half the seats have been taken at this point. Please feel free to forward this post to a friend that also may be interested in attending.


Click here to register or copy-paste the URL below into your browser's address bar.



Once your registration is complete, you should receive two emails. The first is a confirmation of the payment for your registration and a second is the Google Meet link to join each session. Please check your spam folder if they have not reached your inbox. Important: the same link will be used for each and every class.


Each class will start promptly at 8 pm eastern time on Mondays beginning on January 13, 2025. You can expect about 45-60 minutes of instruction with 15-20 minutes added to allow for questions and spillover. The sessions will be held using Google Meet and each class will be recorded and a personal link to the recording will be provided to you within 36 hours. Therefore, it is not mandatory that you attend each live class to get the most from the 10-week course. Although you can join the class on a handheld device using the Google Meet app, it is recommended that you use a laptop or desktop computer (Google Chrome is recommended).


Just to set your expectations, this class is meant to build on the Weather Essentials for Pilots 12-week class held earlier this year. While it is not mandatory that you previously attended this class, it is highly recommended. You can purchase the Weather Essentials for Pilots class here. Instruction will focus primarily on the briefing process so you can learn how to minimize your exposure to adverse weather and fly with more confidence. At least three of the ten classes will be full route briefings using live weather so you can gain a better understanding of how to integrate all of the available weather guidance.


In a nutshell, this 10-week course is specifically directed at certificated private/commercial pilots, flight instructors and designated pilot examiners who feel their preflight weather planning skillset is significantly lacking. It is open to pilots with and without an instrument rating. Putting it succinctly, this is designed to take the serious cross country pilot to the next level.


"Who's Who in Aviation & Weather" YouTube series continues...


We are looking forward to bringing you the latest news and insights from the top minds in the aviation and weather industries. With a focus on weather, each month we'll feature interviews with leading industry experts on topics such as air traffic control, flight safety, forecasting, flight instruction and more. We'll also explore the latest trends and developments in these fields, and provide you with the information you need to stay ahead of the learning curve. So join us every four to six weeks as we explore the latest news and trends in these two fascinating industries.


Stay tuned for our next live program on Tuesday, December 3rd at 2 pm EST as we speak with Tammy Barlette who is a motivational speaker and expert in mental performance training in aviation. Now retired from the military, Lt Col Barlette has flown the T-37 Tweet, the A-10 Warthog, the MQ-1 Predator and the MQ-9 Reaper. We will talk to her about the steps general aviation pilots can take to increase their confidence through mental performance training. In January we will have Steven Green on the program. Steve is a retired airline captain and the author of Pilot Competency and Capability: Responsibilities, Strategy, and Command. He has extensive experience in accident analysis and worked in ALPA’s Inflight Icing Certification Project, as well as the Ice Protection Harmonization Working Group ARAC.

Then in February, we'll be talking to Luke Alcorn who is a flight instructor and also a full-time air traffic controller at the Jacksonville Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC).


> How to watch <


The program will be hosted live on EZWxBrief's YouTube channel. If you cannot attend live, the episodes are recorded and will become available on the same channel shortly after the live broadcast ends. You can also find them in the Who's Who in Aviation & Weather playlist. The exact date and time for future episodes will be announced through this blog and will appear on the EZWxBrief YouTube community page.


Ask a meteorologist webinar


Earlier in November, SiriusXM Aviation sponsored a live webinar entitled, "Ask a meteorologist" to hit some of the most common weather-related questions from pilots. The live webinar was recorded. You can view this video here on YouTube.


Getting the most from the EZWxBrief progressive web app


Although there are some heavyweight aviation apps that offer a vertical profile, the high resolution guidance provided in the EZWxBrief progressive web app is unprecedented. For example, the temperature contours have a 2.5 km horizontal resolution and 500-ft resolution in the vertical. Given that, it is easy to depict important features such as temperature inversions. This become important during the cold season as these inversions can dish out some incredibly dangerous icing conditions to include freezing rain and freezing drizzle.


Below is the Airport Wx meteogram for the Greenbrier Valley Airport (KLWB). Notice that at 1800Z (purple line), the 0 degree Celsius isotherm shown in red folds over itself from just above the surface to around 9,000 feet MSL. This leaves a total of three freezing levels annotated below. This creates a scenario where airframe icing is very likely from 3,500 feet to 6,500 feet MSL based on the icing probability overlay. The area between the second and third freezing level is called the "warm nose" since it is the region that is warmer than the air above or below this point.



Looking at the Skew-T log (p) diagram also valid at 1800Z from the Rapid Refresh (RAP) model, also shows a very similar temperature trace with a total of three freezing levels. The red line is the 0 degree Celsius isotherm. Given the saturated conditions in subfreezing temperatures from 3,600 feet to 6,500 feet, airframe icing is highly likely. This is a typical stratocumulus cloud signature. Once again, the region between the second and third freezing level is called the warm nose.


EZWxBrief v2 news


EZWxBrief v2.0.3 is the current version. There have been no new releases at this point in time. We are currently working on replacing the Skew-T diagrams that were removed last month due to the retirement of the NOAA site, rucsoundings.noaa.gov that is no longer reachable as discussed in this blog post.


Please note that starting January 1, 2025, the monthly subscription price will increase to $7.99/month (currently $6.99/month) to account for increased cost in computing resources for the servers used by the EZWxBrief progressive web app. Any and all subscriptions (new and existing) will be set to renew at this new price.


Most pilots are weatherwise, but some are otherwise™


Dr. Scott Dennstaedt

Weather Systems Engineer

Founder, EZWxBrief™

CFI & former NWS meteorologist






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