- PRE-FLIGHT PILOT BRIEFING SERVICE
NOTAM and MET information can be requested by entering an authorised aerodrome abbreviation (e.g. YMAY) or a location common name (e.g. ALBURY) if location briefing is selected. Australia is divided into about 30 aviation forecast areas; area MET information (area forecast plus the METAR and TAF for each aerodrome in the area) can be obtained by selecting the ARFOR area (e.g. 22). NOTAM for airfields are also provided.
- PLAIN ENGLISH CONVERSIONS
Ian Boag has produced an excellent, freely available, online, plain English conversion of current ARFOR, METAR and TAF for all Australian ARFOR areas. However pilots must still get the NOTAM from the Airservices site. Also student pilots should be aware that the ability to decode the BOM information will be tested in some of the aviation examinations.
Bear in mind that CAR 120 imposes penalties for use of forecasts that were not made with the authority of the Director of Meteorology and it may be that plain English conversions are not authorised by the Director.
- NAIPS PILOT BRIEFING SERVICES
The National Aeronautical Information Processing System provides a user friendly on-line browser pilot briefing service but you need to register a username, set up a password and provide an Aviation Reference Number (ARN). Persons without an ARN that wish to use the register should send an e-mail request to briefing.manager@airservicesaustralia.com.
To access AVFAX you will also need an account number which will be provided with confirmation of your registration.
Rather than using this on-line browser version you may download the software for doing much of the planning off-line; as next.
- NAIPS SOFTWARE
Download the Internet Access Client Software for flight planning, weather forecasts, notam and subsequent flight plan submission to the National Aeronautical Information Processing System. Fairly simple to use, your aircraft details etc are stored and NAIPS will provide confirmation of flight plan acceptance.
- AIRSERVICES ONLINE STORE
You can purchase aeronautical charts and other navigation material, books and manuals via this site.
- AIRSERVICES ONLINE PUBLICATIONS
This site features a number of essential documents downloadable in PDF format, free of charge, including the Aeronautical Information Package [AIP] — the AIP Book, the AIP supplements [AIP SUP], the Aeronautical Information Circulars [AIC] and the Enroute Supplement Australia [ERSA].
- CASA VISUAL FLIGHT RULES GUIDE
CASA's 'Visual Flight Rules Guide' (version 4) is now only available in pdf format.
- CASR 1998
Download the civil aviation safety regulations, CASR 1998, parts. Each part includes the associated advisory circulars [ACs].
- CAR 1988
Download the still current civil aviation safety regulations, CAR 1988 from the Attorney-General's department.
- The BOM's AVIATION WEATHER SERVICES web page. If a user name is requested use 'bomw0007' and the password 'aviation'. The latest synoptic surface analysis charts and national forecast charts; area forecasts, TAFs, METARS and a great deal of other information is available from this page.
- BOM's AERODROME WEATHER INFORMATION SERVICE [AWIS] page. For an example of the service from the automatic weather stations [AWS] call 08 8091 5549 to hear the AWS aerodrome weather at Wilcannia, NSW.
- Images from the BOM's weather radar displays. 'Snapshots' of radar images (precipitation location and intensity), from about 50 weather watch radars, are taken at 10 minute intervals. The images cover an area of 256 km radius from the radar. The last four snapshots from each radar may be looped to provide a good indication of current storm development and intensity plus direction and rate of movement.
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