Some you will be aware of the dispute that has caused TV carrier DirecTV to drop the Weather Channel (TWC) from it’s line up this morning. This affects 20m consumers in the US but hopefully not too many hotels. (at least not the one I’m in tonight!).
The underlying issue is the explosion of alternative Internet weather sources available to consumers in the last few years. Unfortunately none of these have the value to pilots that TWC’s wide ranging, free flowing format provides. Just this week I’ve been studying intently their jet stream forcasts, invaluable for predicting weather and especially winds days ahead in SW. ( I once suggested at a meeting with the BBC met office cabal that they should copy the format. In fairness they did, that very night, but concluded that it wasn’t beneficial to UK consumers – read ‘too complex for bozos’, not that there’s anything elitist about the BBC or the Met Office).
Often the wonderful FSS briefers will refer to what they have seen on TWC when you query the outlook beyond the 48hrs they have to work with. TWC are campaigning for consumers to complain the decision to Directv and to their congressmen. That’s complicated because TWC have diluted their own case with a constant stream of reality TV fillers like Ice Road Truckers, etc, making up near 100% of their output in the evenings.
I don’t know if TWC is at risk over this debacle, but it bodes badly for GA in this country if it is lost.
As far as I am concerned, TWC can go away. They have gotten both too political (Climate Change) and too much non weather stuff. I never use it any more, there are much better products available on the internet.
Yes, but you presumably live here. If you are visiting and staying in hotels with sometimes doubtful wifi then it can be a lifeline. Like I say, FSS only goes a short distance ahead. It’s not the easiest thing for a foreigner to get a data sim card in this country.
I remember when TWC was all weather 24/7. Great channel when the T-storms fired up. I spent many nights in hotels watching their radar images hoping my plane wouldn’t get hailed on.
Now it’s ‘Storm Stories’ and all that rubbish. I’m still a fan though.
-Jason
You can get more weather information and faster on the internet. All hotels now provide internet, most free. You don’t have to wait a half hour to see what you want to see.
It’s not the easiest thing for a foreigner to get a data sim card in this country.
Not anymore. Since last summer you can get an ATT sim for your iPhone on one of the GoPhone plans.
I have often wondered what wx sources US pilots really use, in the modern times.
I find it hard to believe that many that go places for real are actually phoning up 1-800-WX-BRIEF because it is very hard to build a picture from a verbal description. I found it very hard to use when I was there – for the FAA IR checkride I was expected to use it.
Since last summer you can get an ATT sim for your iPhone on one of the GoPhone plans.
But then you lose your phone number… this is why the cellular companies make so much money out of roaming. One can stick a locally purchased data SIM into say an Ipad, or some 3G-to-WIFI modem (I use an E585). The other option is to carry two phones.
Well, the usual. The various internet sources, TWC on the TV/iPad, AeroWeather on the iPhone, etc.
I always call up 1-800-WX-BRIEF, but more to get the latest on TFRs (in this respect that call is also a CYA policy – it’s recorded….).
But then you lose your phone number… this is why the cellular companies make so much money out of roaming.
Only if you let them! I carry two phones (an old clapped-out Nokia and my iPhone) and stick the UK sim into the Nokia which then gets switched to ‘divert all calls to voicemail’ before I leave. Sends me a text when someone leaves a message. Especially on the West Coast that’s pretty much the only way to deal with it anyway, unless you fancy being called by someone in the UK / Europe at 3 in the morning. I don’t.
