-RADZ BKN012

Foiled by the weather again yesterday!  I wasn't too surprised though.  A flying day for me (there has only been one successful one so far) starts with a look out the window, followed by a look at the weather on the Ulster Flying Clubs weather page, then a look at their apron web cam to check out the windsock and to see if any aircraft have been pushed out.  Finally I check my email for the daily Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF) for Belfast City Airport (EGAC).  EGAD does not publish a TAF so EGAC is the closest.

As-well as learning to actually fly an aircraft essentially you have to learn a new language!  A TAF looks like this:

TAF EGAC 250801Z 2509/2518 30012KT 9999 SCT015 BKN025 

TEMPO 2509/2518 7000 -RADZ BKN012

Broken down it means this:

• TAF indicates that it is a Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (you can get a METAR as-well!)
• EGAC tells us it is for Belfast City Airport
• 250801Z is the date and time it was issued ... 25th day of the month at 0801 UTC
• 2509/2518 shows us that it is valid from 0900 to 1800 on the 25th
• 30012KT is the wind direction and speed.... 12 Knots at 300 degrees
• 9999 means that visibility is greater than 10KM
• SCT015 is scattered cloud at 1500 feet
• BKN025 is a broken (over half the sky) cloud layer at 2500 feet
• TEMPO - Temporary deterioration in the weather
• 2509/2518 is the same as before
• 7000 means the visibility will reduce to 7000 meters
• -RADZ indicates rain and drizzle
• BKN012 is again broken cloud but at 1200 feet this time

So in layman terms the TAF reads:  That between 0900 and 1800 on the 25th at Belfast City Airport the wind will be blowing at 12 knots from the north west.  Visibility will be greater than 10 kilometres with scattered cloud at 1500 feet and broken cloud at 2500 feet.  During the same period the weather is likely to deteriorate with the visibility reducing to 7000 meters through some rain and drizzle and the broken cloud dropping to 1200 feet.  

To me it reads 'No Flying Lesson Today!'

Before I set off for the aerodrome I call the club to confirm if flying is on or not.  With the information above at hand it offsets my disappointment when I’m told that flying is cancelled.