Hello Peter.

 

Bob’s response is spot on.

 

The warm fronts have always been there.

 

BOM aviation forecasters – in my opinion – have been a law unto themselves.

 

A long time ago I was flying an F27 ADL – PLC – ADL on a CAVOK forecast and on 
approaching ADL on the final leg the water of Gulf St. Vincent was instantly 
covered by sea fog and I managed to land through local knowledge – trees poking 
through the fog.

 

After shutdown I went to the briefing office and asked the BOM bloke – a 
Frenchman called Pierre – to issue a new forecast that required A/C flying into 
ADL to carry an alternate.

 

Why was his response. Mine was ‘look out of the window and you’ll see why.

 

At that time the ADL tower sat atop the terminal and directly below it was the 
briefing office which normally had a clear view to the West from N/E to S/E and 
the F27 I’d just landed could not be seen on the apron below. An absolute 
aviation saga continued through the day. Too long to record here.

 

Fw’d a few years and  I was planning a flight MEB – PTH.  First step was to 
collect the forecast from the Met counter. At that time the first of the 
computer generated high altitude wind forecasts were being issued. 

 

A quick glance indicated a problem.  In a normal jet stream  situation I 
expected a H/W of about 300/150 bit this forecast indicated 120/150.

 

The Frenchman – who had transferred to MEB, was on duty and refused to accept 
that the forecast was impossibly correct.

 

I flight planned to ADL – refuel to full tanks – then PTH where we landed 
safely.

 

I can’t recall those that fell short. Available in the old “Crash Comic”.

 

Years later I flew a high altitude turbo-prop A/C over much of the world on the 
basis of my own met. knowledge and survived without incident.

 

I don’t have much time for Wally’s publication.

 

Noel.

 

 

 

From: Aus-soaring [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of 
Peter Champness
Sent: Monday, September 18, 2017 5:42 PM
To: Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia.
Subject: [Aus-soaring] Warm Fronts on the BOM Weather Maps

 

Has any noticed that warm fronts are becoming a feature of our weather maps?

 

I can't remember seeing them before, except possibly well south of Tasmania.  
David Wilson said something recently about our cold fronts being somewhat like 
the Northern Hemisphere  warm fronts that Wallington describes in his book 
(Meteorology for Glider Pilots).

 

In  a similar manner troughs were not seen on our weather maps before about the 
mid 1990's.  Now they are every where.

 

Is it Climate Change or is the BOM learning something?

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