What it is
BlueSkies is a planning aid for UK private pilots flying VFR. You tell it the airfields you fly from, the aircraft you fly and your own minimums. It rates each hour of the forecast against them and says, for each airfield: go now, go later or stay home.
It also suggests where you could go, shows where the weather is flyable around you through the day, and can send the day's answer to your inbox each morning. Every verdict links to the figures and limits behind it.
Who runs it
BlueSkies is built and run by Phil Murphy, a private pilot and software engineer. It started as a tool for one pilot and is open to a few others by invitation.
What it isn't
BlueSkies uses general weather-model forecasts, not aviation forecasts. It doesn't check airspace, NOTAMs, PPR or fuel. Before you fly, check the official aviation forecast, TAF and METAR, and NOTAMs. The decision to fly is always yours.
Where the data comes from
- Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0): the weather forecasts every hour is rated on. They are general weather-model forecasts, from the Met Office and others.
- OurAirports: where airfields are, and their runways.
- Wikidata, and map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL): which airfields are closed or military.
- Copernicus DEM © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, provided under COPERNICUS by the European Union and ESA: the height of the ground, to check the cloud base along a route.
- Natural England, Natural Resources Wales, NatureScot and ONS (Open Government Licence; contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right): the region names in trip suggestions, such as "via Brecon Beacons".
- Natural Earth: the coastline on the maps.
Getting in touch
Email phil.murphy@gmail.com. BlueSkies is invite-only for now: if you'd like to try it, say where you fly from.