Have you ever wondered where the radar
station that shows all the rain for the far North-West of the British
Isles is? Or perhaps pondered on the guidance systems which help
aircraft find their way over the North of the earth when travelling from
the UK to Canada and the US? Highly unlikely I would have thought.
However quite a few people have asked me what the 'funny objects' on top
of the ridge across the valley from me are.
The details of the Met Office weather radar network and more can be found here.
However what most people see in practice is the results on the weather
forecasts on television. This is the graphic from the Met Office website
referred to above.
The
aircraft navigation aid is much less likely to feature on television or
make its presence felt at all but every time I fly North I will think
about the part this piece of equipment plays in that journey.
Amazing how many gaps there are but I suppose they have long range as well.
ReplyDeleteI think the coverage is pretty good Adrian I think it's a matter of the resolution.
DeleteHey, even I know how to spell it! Thinking on that though I
ReplyDeleteMight have spelled it wrong a time or two! Grateful for the radar that gets me across the ocean to england. Typing on a tablet why won't it capitalize england?
I've never noticed you spell Stornoway incorrectly Kay. However for an organisation actually putting a sign up it's a bit unfortunate. I hope they don't make the same mistake with their navigation programming.
DeleteNo I have never wondered, but I am glad that someone else has ✈️
ReplyDeleteNow .. Can you tell us what the weather will be on Sunday and when QF1 will be flying over?
I'm reliably informed Carol that there will definitely be weather on Sunday. I think that it will probably be windy and wet too: probably quite different from the rest of the UK. By the way I though that QF1 flew via Dubai and thus not over this wee Island.
DeleteThere's lots of high tech stuff all over the place to serve us. I like the satellite and radar weather sites.
ReplyDeleteRed I suspect there's far more high tech stuff on which we rely than we will ever realise.
DeleteI never had until you raised the subject...so thanks for this information. I've now learned something new today...and that is a good thing.
ReplyDeleteHow is your knee coming along, Graham?
Lee the strange thing is that I thought that I had always known what they were but I was originally told that the flying saucer landing pad was for shipping navigation in The Minch not for aircraft navigation.
DeleteI am always interested in learning some "behind the scenes" facts and would love to visit a weather station or flight radar station. So far, I've only had the chance to look in at the tiny tower on Pattonville Airfield in my hometown, where they monitor incoming and outgoing sports planes like the one my pilot friend and I have been on together a few times.
ReplyDeleteI'm rather ashamed to say, Meike, that, on the whole, I lack curiosity when it comes to many things: I am the opposite of my brother in that way.
DeleteInteresting and necessary blips on your horizon
ReplyDeleteA succinct way of putting it Diane.
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