Training Corner - BSV no.49
When everything goes to pot, even the weather
About ten years ago, when I arrived in the south of France, many people told me: you know, it's simple here, the mistral is 3-6-9… describing the number of days it would blow for.
What is it like today? Gone are the days of 35 knots from the north one day and the same from the south the next.
Everything is falling apart… who can you trust?
For some years now we have been faced, more and more often, with weather phenomena that are unpredictable, quick to develop, and above all of rare intensity.
This has an impact on the safety of our flights, and we must now take it into account
Météo France, through its Aéroweb site, gives us reliable and up-to-date information.
Grey areas exist in aviation weather forecasting, owing to budget constraints, but Météo France has reacted by setting up the fine-mesh model, which will give you, in aviation language, the observations from their weather observation stations:
https://aviation.meteo.fr/complementary/map_models_hires.php
Dozens of apps available on tablets and phones also provide a not insignificant source of information, and by cross-checking the data you often get a precise idea of the weather conditions awaiting you on your weekend pleasure flight.
One very reliable way of finding out the forecast remains: a quick phone call to the strip you want to visit (microlight strip); the locals know their playground, they often know from experience how the situation may develop, and they will also be pleased to know you are coming to visit, and can also tell you about the state of the runway and, incidentally, get the coffee ready…
Flight preparation is too often neglected: weather, NOTAMs, RTBA, AIP supplements. (see our page “Plan your flights”)
Every year, the BEA unfortunately finds that this is one of the causes of accidents, sometimes fatal.
The season is starting, make the most of it, do not hesitate to consult your instructor, who will be able to show you how to access all this information, and never forget:
When in doubt, safety should get the benefit
Happy flying and REV up!
Jean-Christophe Gibert
Head of the Training Committee
Editorial
"Go-around"
How hard it is for all of us to accept that events do not always go the way we hoped, and that sometimes we have to rethink the whole plan we had made and tied up...
If this is true in everyday life, it is all the more true in our favourite pastime of microlight flying.
The Analyst's analysis
In September 2017, the BEA published its report on the accident of the paramotor microlight registered 08-NR, which occurred on 17 April 2016 at Raucourt-et-Flaba (08). The pilot, alone on board, was killed.
Safety in Figures
The table below summarises the accident statistics recorded from 1st January to 30 May 2018, ranking victims by severity and distinguishing purely material-damage accidents.
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