J. MAC MCCLELLAN
Stratus shows a
national NEXRAD
mosaic, but
the resolution
is course at
distance over
250 miles.
AIRMETs,
SIGMETs, TFRs,
and other alerts
are shown as
shaded colors
on the map.
A tap of the
screen brings
up details.
The Stratus
radar display
can be overlaid
on either VFR
or IFR charts
to orient the
weather to
your route and
location.
When you pan across the ForeFlight
display more than about 250 nautical
mile from your position, you will see the
national NEXRAD and its resolution is
about 5 nautical mile square. That’s a big
block to represent a radar echo, but
remember, that weather is more than an
hour away for the general aviation air-
planes FIS-B is intended for.
I have both XM WX Satellite Weather
on a Garmin display and WSI on an
Avidyne display in my airplane, so I com-
pared those to FIS-B from Stratus. No
question the satellite NEXRAD presents
a smoother, less blocky display than
Stratus. But the Stratus FIS-B is perfectly
usable for weather avoidance, and
remember—it’s free.
The paid-for services also show light-
ning detected by the ground network,
and they also display precipitation type—
snow, mixed, or rain—but Stratus doesn’t.
I don’t miss the color-coded precipitation
type all that much, but I do always con-
sider the presence of lightning. If you
have precip and lightning, you are look-
ing at a thunderstorm for sure. If you can
see only precip on the NEXRAD display,
it may be plain old rain, or it could be a
thunderstorm. There is apparently talk,
at least, about the FAA adding lightning
information to FIS-B, and I would
applaud that if it can happen.
UAT COVERAGE EXCELLENT
I was pleasantly surprised to find excel-
lent ADS-B coverage in the Great Lakes
area. I don’t know where the closest
ground station to my home airport in
Muskegon, Michigan, is located, but by
the time I have the gear up, power set,
and a minute to look at the Stratus dis-
play, it is already locked on.
I have also found that receiving three
or four stations from a typical non-pres-
surized cruise altitude such as 7,000 or
8,000 feet is normal. And I have noted
that Stratus has been receiving as many
as six stations at those altitudes.
I have found that the battery life claim
for Stratus is realistic. An estimate of bat-
tery life remaining as a percentage is
always available to see through
ForeFlight on the iPad screen. A portable
cockpit system that is totally wire-free
seems like a miracle, but it is for real.
WHAT DOES STRATUS COST?
The Stratus receiver is available exclu-
sively from Sporty’s and sells for $799.
The ForeFlight app for your iPad
costs $74.95 for an annual subscription,
but remember that includes subscrip-
tions to VFR charts such as sectionals,
and IFR charts including en route and
approach, plus other data such as
Airport/Facility Directory, fuel prices,
FBO information, and so on. Of course,
you need an iPad, and Stratus recom-
mends a “ 2” version or better with at
least 32 GB storage.
To make it all work, order the
Stratus receiver from Sporty’s, down-
load the ForeFlight app from
www.ForeFlight.com or the iPad App
Store, and you’re set. There is no regis-
tration or user identification numbers to
acquire. You can move the Stratus from
airplane to airplane. And there is no
annual fee to receive the weather.
Unless you are fortunate enough to
have an ADS-B ground station on or very
near your airport, you won’t receive
weather until you take off. But ForeFlight
can use any Wi-Fi or a 3G connection on
your iPad to get up-to-date weather as
you head for the airplane.
ADS-B is starting to pay off much
sooner than I expected in the form of
very convenient free weather. What a
nice surprise.
J. Mac McClellan, EAA 747337, has been a pilot for
more than 40 years, holds an ATP certificate, and
owns a Beechcraft Baron. To contact Mac, e-mail
mac@eaa.org.
