What to check prior to pattern work?

[DrewBlows]

NOTAMs and TFRs - I can't believe no one has mentioned this one yet! TFRs are very important to check now a days, cause a President (or other entities) can pick up and move into your area with little or no notice. It's your responsibility to know this, and don't rely on hearing this kind of information on the ATIS either. If the Prez decides to show up in your town they'll typcially be a 30 mile TFR around where he's at, and that can get you in big trouble quick (even doing pattern work!).

You beat me to it. I suggest that students call a flight service station specialist before every flight for just this reason. Plus they keep track of all the calls so your butt will be covered if something out of the ordinary happens. I think that the FSS have been privatized at this point (I'm not totally up on current events) but I used to call Lansing Flight Service Station directly from where ever I was in the country so they could log the call. I had a briefer tell me that the kept track of calls and the more they got the better in order to stay in business. Not sure how that worked out.

 

[Airway]

I have my students call Flight Service prior to every flight. Why not? Full WX brief and TFR/NOTAMS. Also other pertinent info about the airport and surrounding areas a METAR or TAF wouldn't tell you.

I suggest you do the same, since you're asking for advice. Ask your CFI about Flight Service (he might not have gotten to it with you because you haven't done X/C work yet. A lot of CFIs wait till that point). Do that and you'll be covering (most) of your bases in the weather arena.

 

[User546]

Here's a great FAA-ran website to help you check for all current TFR's, to save you a call to FSS. It also has a map you can click on and see graphically where all of them are in place (great for x-country planning):

http://tfr.faa.gov/tfr2/list.html

Also, I use this government ran website for checking all NOTAMs:

https://www.notams.jcs.mil/

 

[Stifler's Mom]

why is anyone seriously answering Mr. Unanswered.

I just realized his name is UnAnswered Resurrected. Too bad Tony C isn't around here anymore. I enjoyed watching the two of them go back and forth.

 

[sessman]

I call Flight Service for TFR notams for almost every flight now unless I know the Pres. is in another state. When I was learning I didn't, but the way TFRs pop up, I don't take any chances. Of course I live in Houston and you never know when he's going to show up a Ellington.

 

[Alex429595]

NOTAMs and TFRs - I can't believe no one has mentioned this one yet! TFRs are very important to check now a days, cause a President (or other entities) can pick up and move into your area with little or no notice. It's your responsibility to know this, and don't rely on hearing this kind of information on the ATIS either. If the Prez decides to show up in your town they'll typcially be a 30 mile TFR around where he's at, and that can get you in big trouble quick (even doing pattern work!).

Personally, I don't fly an airplane without calling FSS up, and its a habit for me to specifically inquire about TFRs when I am on the phone with them, every time. Its the one time you don't check that GWB rolls in and ruins your day.

 

[Amish RakeFight]

There will be times when a computer is unavailable or the FBO doesn't have a weather briefing room outfitted with monitors. Maybe just a sectional and phone.

It's good practice to also use FSS for this reason. Being able to develop a shorthand to jot down all ofthat info. in spit-fire fashion in an orderly way without havign to have everyhting repeated. Most FSS will provide the necessary information in an orderly way so that each tiem you call you will know what comes next and how to format the short hand.

It will also make you more conversant in weather and you can ask questions to clarify things you might not understand so well by checking weather on your own from the internet.

As I mentioned before , the FAA provides a plain language version of most written weather reports, but it sometimes leaves things out or omits the translation of some numbers, etc. This can be helpful in learning to decipher the coded text of reports.