Convective SIGMETs are issued at 55 minutes past every hour by the Aviation Weather Center and describe active severe thunderstorm conditions that demand a genuine go/no-go decision.
PatternThe VFR cross-country thunderstorm encounter rarely begins with a bad decision - it begins with a series of reasonable ones that each compress the window to turn around.
PatternFIS-B NEXRAD displays in the cockpit show weather that is 5–12 minutes old - understanding that latency is essential for safe convective avoidance.
VectorConvective SIGMETs are issued at :55 past every hour - understand what they mean, how to read them, and why the 20nm rule applies to every VFR flight.
PatternThe Convective SIGMET is the FAA's highest aviation weather advisory - here's how to find it, read it, and use it to make a real go/no-go decision before departure.
PatternLearn what triggers a Convective SIGMET, how to read one, and how to apply it to real go/no-go decisions as a student or private pilot.
PatternRadio Hangar explores The Stormscope, Sferics, and How a Box on Your Panel Maps Lightning Without Ever Painting a Cloud.
VectorThe NEXRAD radar image on your tablet can be 15-20 minutes older than its timestamp shows - here's why, and how to use it safely.
VectorFIS-B beams free NEXRAD weather to your cockpit, but its built-in latency makes it a strategic tool that's dangerous to use for threading between storm cells.
VectorCockpit datalink NEXRAD can be 15-20 minutes older than its timestamp suggests - here's why, and how to use it safely.
VectorHow the Stormscope finds hidden thunderstorms by passively listening to the radio static from lightning - and where it fits alongside radar and datalink today.
VectorFIS-B datalink NEXRAD can be up to 20 minutes older than its on-screen timestamp - here's why, and how to use it safely.
VectorHow to read a convective SIGMET and time your Oshkosh arrival to beat Wisconsin's afternoon thunderstorms on a summer cross-country.
PatternA JetBlue A320 declared an emergency after a lightning strike destroyed its weather radar on departure - what every pilot should learn from this incident.
TowerWhen a thunderstorm appears on your cross-country route, you have three options - only two of them are safe.
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