New Aviation Weather eBook Digs Into Forecasts

The book is meant to give general aviation pilots a better understanding of weather principles and the tools needed to give weather proper consideration during flight planning. The SkewT diagram, which is a thermodynamic chart used by professional weather trackers, is at the center of the story.

“While the Skew-T is used every day by weather forecasters, in recent years there has been a huge interest in the aviation world for a comprehensive book on this topic,” said Dennstaedt, who also co-authored, with airline pilot Doug Morris, the book, Pilot Weather: From Solo to the Airlines.

Dennstaedt is an instrument flight instructor (CFII) and former National Weather Service research meteorologist. He holds a Ph.D. in infrastructures and environmental systems from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

The Skew-T diagram lets the pilot see how conditions are likely to develop based in part on the characteristics of temperature and atmospheric pressure. Avwxworkshops Inc. says the Skew-T helps pilots “drill down” to uncover weather information over a particular spot/location and develop more thorough and effective preflight briefings.

The book is almost 300 pages long and includes more than 200 diagrams, photos, and other images that help make a complex topic easier to understand.

There are two versions of the eBook available. The standard version is on sale for $49.95. There is also a version for $89.95 that includes free updates for reviews of the book that will be released annually through July 26, 2027, the company said.

Founded in 2017, Avwxworkshops Inc. is a privately held company based in Charlotte, North Carolina, that owns and operates the EZWxBrief web app. Among the app’s features is the EZDeparture Advisor, which the company describes as a “route-based personal risk assessment tool” that evaluates weather forecasts on a pilot’s planned route and incorporates the pilot’s personal weather minimums in assessing risk. The tool helps pilots determine the best flight departure time while minimizing exposure to adverse weather.