Inadvertent weather encounters still account for a great number of aviation accidents. Much of the cause of those accidents is the lack of timely local weather information in the cockpit. Radar, lightning detectors and now Data-link NEXRAD systems can provide the necessary weather information in real-time (or slightly delayed with Data-link).

Unfortunately, the complete weather picture is often missing or difficult to obtain from a single source. Additionally, the interpretation of in-flight weather information relies on experience or many hours of training.

This, the lightning Detection Course, is the first of three volumes (the next two, Data-link Weather and Radar will be released soon).

At the very core of the self-paced of the training program is the ElectronicFlight CompleteLearning Methodology that focuses on the following basic elements:

• Instill conceptual knowledge, instead of rote memorization
• Implant mental models (a picture imprinted into permanent memory)
• Present the conceptual organization of a system
• Provide requisite knowledge using highly graphical methods
• Reinforce knowledge with targeted practice exercises
• Implement hands-on skill development with a knowledgeable Flight Instructor

  After successful completion of a module, the operation, and familiarity, of a piece of avionics should become second nature when it counts the most under the pressure of high-workload situations in the cockpit.

Upon successful completion of this CompleteLearning module the student will be able to:

• Discriminate between active and passive weather detection
• List the three stages in a thunderstorm's lifecycle
• List the three types of lightning
• Describe the method of lightning detection methodology
• Describe the inputs and outputs of a typical lightning avoidance system
• Recall a mental image of lightning detection symbology
• Describe the two cell display types and their use
• Describe a lightning detector self-test sequence
• Recall a mental image of the display control layout
• Formulate strategies for weather avoidance using a lightning display
• Incorporate lightning detection into decision strategies
• Recount the limitations of lightning detection, and much more

Minimum Hardware Requirements: PC compatible, 64MB of RAM, 266MHz Processor, Sound Card, Windows 95 or higher, Approximately 100MB of hard disk space per module. Not MAC OS compatible.