AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2018 - 106

AOPA AIR SAFETY INSTITUTE

What's up with cockpit weather?
'Datalink Weather: Choices and Capabilities' video explains
BY MACHTELD SMITH

THE 2020 AUTOMATIC DEPENDENT

Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) Out
equipment mandate is just around the
corner (see "P&E: Mandate inches closer,"
p. 93). But there's often confusion about
what needs to be installed to comply.
Although the directive does not require
ADS-B In services, aircraft owners have
the option to add features such as in-cockpit traffic and weather. Cockpit datalink
weather, one of general aviation's great
technological advances, makes weather
flying safer than ever before.
As an aircraft owner you may elect to
add ADS-B In weather services through
the FAA's Flight Information SystemBroadcast (FIS-B) data system, or you
may opt for satellite weather services
offered by commercial providers-
or to equip with both. Understanding
the intricacies of how these weather
sources work and what they can do for
you can be complex, whether you're an
owner or renter pilot.
As a renter, consider this when you
select an airplane at your local FBO:
106 | AOPA PILOT June 2018

Does the fleet have identical equipment
in each aircraft? Or will you encounter
different cockpit weather system displays and data feeds-some of which
rely on satellites and others on groundbased systems? You should understand
the subtle differences between these
systems, especially if you depend on
weather radar during flight in instrument meteorological conditions.
The AOPA Air Safety Institute
D a t a l i n k We a t h e r : Ch o i c e s a n d
Capabilities video (www.airsafety
institute.org/videos/datalinkwx) reviews
the SiriusXM satellite-based system
and ADS-B In/FIS-B weather products. Watch the video to get answers to
questions you may have on how weather
delivery modes affect what you see on the
screen, and how they can help you avoid
convective weather in flight.
This video is brought to you by
SiriusXM Aviation.
MACHTELD SMITH is an aviation technical

writer for the AOPA Air Safety Institute.

NEW FROM ASI

NEWS & NOTES

GET THE EXPERTS' TIPS ON
SURVIVAL PREPAREDNESS
YOU'VE JUST MADE AN UNPLANNED,
off-airport landing. Thanks to your
training, you were able to calmly
cope with a developing in-flight
emergency and successfully land
the airplane. Now what? Have
you adequately prepared for
what happens next-how to reach
out for rescue and endure the
elements until help arrives? A little
knowledge on what to do after a
forced landing can go a long way.
Polish your survival skillset with
information found in the AOPA Air
Safety Institute's Survival Safety
Spotlight (www.airsafetyinstitute.
org/spotlight/survival). As you
might imagine, increasing your
chances of post-crash survival
starts with proper flight planning
and a thorough passenger
briefing. The spotlight offers
videos, articles, and checklists to
help put your survival kit together.

TOUCHDOWN TRICKS
AND TAXI TIPS
ASI'S SAFETY TIP VIDEO CLIPS SHARE
easy-to-remember techniques to
improve your safety. For example,
does your landing spot wander
in the windshield on short final?
If you're having trouble gauging
the touchdown point, a simple
approach explained in Aiming
Point (www.airsafetyinstitute.
org/videos/aimingpoint) can fix
that. Also, should you dive into
or away from a headwind? Taxi
Controls (www.airsafetyinstitute.
org/videos/taxicontrols) explores
proper control placement to help
you navigate taxiways when the
winds kick up. Don't keep these
tips a secret-share them with
others.

http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/spotlight/survival http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/spotlight/survival http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/videos/datalinkwx http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/videos/datalinkwx http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/videos/aimingpoint http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/videos/aimingpoint http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/videos/taxicontrols http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/videos/taxicontrols

AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2018