Weekend Flyer 1.8.8

Weekend Flyer offers a practical solution for pilots looking to plan their flights based on future weather conditions. The application allows users to access detailed weather forecasts for up to several days in advance, enabling better preparedness for flight journeys.

The Problem

• Traditional weather information for flight planning is often limited, with forecasts typically spanning less than 24 hours and lacking in-depth details. Predictions for non-TAF airports or further into the future necessitate meteorological expertise and can be prone to local weather anomalies.

The Solution

• Weekend Flyer leverages NOAA forecast data covering over 1500 airports with automated weather stations, offering pilots a comprehensive and clear overview of flying weather conditions. The application distinguishes itself by providing a holistic view of the entire flight route as opposed to focusing on individual airports.

Features

• Utilizes a high-resolution VFR wall planner map as the base layout.
• Weather stations color-coded by flight category (VFR, MVFR, IFR, LIFR).
• Displays thunderstorms, high winds, cloud coverage, and subtle precipitation indications.
• Wind barbs illustrate surface winds and winds aloft.
• Option to view all public use airports when zoomed in, along with night and day indications.
• 'Time slider' feature for easy navigation through forecasted weather conditions.
• Interactive interface enhancing weather visualization and flow comprehension.
• Detailed weather information available by tapping on individual stations, with trend analysis capability.
• Route creation and editing by long-pressing on map airports with integration for sending routes to ForeFlight (independent of the ForeFlight app).
• Routes incorporate winds aloft data for estimated time en route calculations.
• Flight simulation functionality based on expected departure time and ground speed, aiding in route planning.
• In-app extensive help resources accessible via the toolbar.

Limitations

• Operates within the contiguous United States only (lower 48 states), excluding Alaska and Hawaii.
• Designed as a supplementary tool and not a replacement for Electronic Flight Bag apps or official FAA weather briefings, lacking certain weather specifics like icing or turbulence data.