Taxpayers pick up the tab for the FSS briefer to read you forecasts and weather reports prepared by the government’s weather bureau. It’s a great service that pilots have enjoyed for decades, but if you are willing to invest a few bucks a month, you can buy better weather, or at least better weather information, from Jeppesen. The company has been in the flight planning business for a number of years since it purchased Lockheed’s JetPlan, one of the pioneering companies in custom flight planning for private airplanes. A crucial element of any flight plan is, of course, the weather, and over the past few years Jepp has elevated its weather briefing service to the highest level.
The easiest way to access Jeppesen weather is through its FlightStar flight planning software on your computer, or at www.JetPlan.com after subscribing. There you will find every conceivable bit of weather information constructed to run fast on the web but retain excellent resolution. The service is worldwide, though you can subscribe to domestic U.S. weather coverage only starting at just $20 per month. Jeppesen’s biggest customer base at this time is business jet pilots, but the weather reporting and analysis is suitable for any type of airplane.
