About the Course
Do you want to learn how to interpret and assess weather and weather forecasts for your flying? Or perhaps you have a general interest in weather patterns and want to build on this. Either way weather in New Zealand and particularly the mountainous regions such as Wanaka is very unique and we'll go cover what is happening and how to anticipate what will happen!
This course is for:
Anyone who is looking to become familiar with the concepts behind weather.
Anyone who wants to be able to intepret forecasts in New Zealand and anticipate the weather.
Anyone on their PPL journey and needs to sit the PPL Aircraft Technical Knowledge Exam.
Anyone who is interested in weather in general.
By the end of this course you will be able to:
Decode aviation weather forecasts; and
Intepret various weather maps; and
Have a working knowledge of the lower atmosphere and how wind and clouds forml and
Have a working knowledge of hazardous weather conditions in NZ; and
Be able to interpret and anticipate mountain weather in NZ; and
Understand how fronts and turbulence interact and form in NZ; and
Assess sattelite and radar imagery; and
Have a sound knowledge of the syllabus detailed in AC 61-3; and
With some revision sit and pass the CAANZ Aircraft Technical Knowledge Examination; and
Course Dates:
2nd July 2024 - 1800-2100
4th July 2024 - 1800-2100
9th July 2024 - 1800-2100
11th July 2024 - 1800-2100
16th July 2024 - 1800-2100
18th July 2024 - 1800-2100
Course Location:
Clutha Lecture Room - 6 Lloyd Dunn Avenue, Wanaka Airport, Wanaka, 9832
ZOOM: Available for this course.
Resources Required:
Waypoints Book No. 3 - Weather To Fly
Additional resources Provided:
Online course notes and progress quizzes via our online learning system; and
Mock exam; and
Study technique notes
Your Instructor
Hamish McGill
Hamish is our Chief Flying Instructor and brings a wealth of VFR and IFR knowledge for PPL, CPL, Instrument, Instructor, and Mountain Students.
Hamish was previously heavily involved in interpreting maritime weather forecasts and manipulating modelled weather data for different uses in the maritime environment and is able to bring an extended depth of knowledge that is usually unavailable in most flight schools
"Flying and learning in Wanaka is a dream come true, it's an amazing place to teach the next generation of pilots and while it's challenging, I have no doubt that we produce some of the best pilots in New Zealand"
Hamish enjoys long walks on the beach, sunset instagrams, and cleaning planes after someone else makes them dirty!