Jay Honeck wrote:
I would NEVER have attempted that flight "pre-XM", simply because I'd be
trying to paint a picture of weather in my head from a radio briefing
(IF
you could even get ahold of Flight Service), and you'd have no idea
of the
"big picture" that live XM paints so wonderfully for you.

Wait -- are you serious?

Completely. XM weather gives you a weather picture that is absolutely
unparalleled in GA aircraft. Before we had it, we would have stayed in
Pensacola. After we had it, the flight from Pensacola to St. Pete was
completely routine.

Jay, you need some remedial weather analysis and flight planning
training. I've never had XM weather (OK, one flight with a friend with
a 496) and get along fine without it. I'm not saying I wouldn't like to
have it, but it isn't worth the cost to me. It gives a little more
convenience, but I can get the same and even more information from
several sources (DUAT, intellicast, weather channel, ADDS, etc., when it
comes to preflight. Enroute I do fine with my eyes, ASOS/AWOS,
listening to ATC and FSS. I see XM as a much more convenient tool for
inflight than for preflight and can't imagine making go/no-go decisions
simply because I have XM weather.


Matt