Questions and Answers - FAQ
1. Packages, payments & account
We offer specialized packages for glider pilots, motor pilots, paraglider pilots, balloonists and professional users. You can find a detailed overview on our pricing page or in the help section for new customers.
Price page: https://topmeteo.eu/en/topmeteo-home/prices-and-packages/
Have a look at our products and read which of our maps and applications could be of particular interest to you and your air sport(s).
We offer a “7-day trial”. Completely non-binding and free of charge. Your trial package starts as soon as your registration is complete. It ends automatically after one week.
7-day trial: https://vfr.topmeteo.eu/en-gb/eu/shop/trial/
We offer flexible payment options:
- Credit cards (VISA, Mastercard)
- PayPal
- SEPA direct debit or bank transfer
Our packages expire automatically, there is no need to cancel. You will receive a reminder e-mail 14 days before expiry to renew your package manually. You can manage your profile and packages at any time under “My account”.
My account: https://vfr.topmeteo.eu/en-gb/eu/user-profile/
Each pilot receives their own personal individual license. However, if a club orders as a group and bundles payment via the cashier, we offer a club discount. Please contact our support team.
Support: https://topmeteo.eu/en/topmeteo-home/service/contact/
Yes, you can use TopMeteo on up to 2 devices at the same time (e.g. on your smartphone for task planning and in parallel on your PC to check various weather maps). Important: Your login is personal and may not be passed on to friends or third parties.
Yes, for companies from other EU countries with a valid VAT ID, we can issue invoices without VAT on request.
Important note: Contact us by e-mail before you want to extend/purchase your package. A VAT-free purchase is not automatically possible via the website; in this case, payment is made exclusively by SEPA bank transfer.
2. Forecast products & functions
Our models are updated several times a day (main runs every 6 hours). Satellite and radar images are refreshed at intervals of up to 5 minutes to enable modern real-time monitoring. Update runs between the main runs improve the short-term forecasts.
Yes, you can use the “View days in the past” function to access the weather data for the last 2 days – ideal for debriefing flights. All you have to do is change the date in the top right-hand corner.
View days in the past: https://vfr.topmeteo.eu/en-gb/eu/map/25/-1/13/
3. Meteorological issues
We use high-resolution topography data to take into account local effects such as channelization or valley winds. Nevertheless, pilots should always check local conditions and current METARs, including those available from us.
Very reliable. TopMeteo uses, among other things, the extremely high-resolution model of the DWD (German Weather Service), which calculates very precise lee wave systems, especially in the Alps and low mountain ranges. Please note, however, that small-scale rotors may lie below the model resolution.
5 Mobile use, apps & integration
Yes, our app is called TopMetSat and is intended for use in the cockpit. It follows the philosophy “One Click, One Pic“: It is extremely simple and shows e.g.: convergences, waves, satellite images, radar and lightning data to offer pilots in the cockpit maximum safety with zero distraction. Search for the app in the App-/Playstore and log in with the“TopMetSat App Safety Key” visible under My Profile.
The complex Cloud Tops & Ceiling product is essential for motorized pilots to be able to make the right decisions during the flight.
Notes: The TopMetSat app is not intended for flight planning or weather briefing, but for viewing actual data in flight.
Yes, TopMeteo can be used in the following navigation programs.
- LXNAV
- Naviter
Yes, we have recently launched a completely revised flight planning software that is highly optimized for mobile devices (smartphones and tablets). This enables extremely simple “drag & drop” operation as well as seamless integration of our weather data directly on your route. This makes it possible to reprogram a task/route or change waypoints without much effort in just a few seconds while still in the grid or at the taxi stop.
Export to WeGlide and LXNAV is possible via a direct link. The following data formats are available for manual export:
- GPX
- CUP
- TXT
6. Legal requirements Europe
Yes, in compliance with the statutory provisions, in particular the following two points:
- Flight preparation (NCO.OP.135)
- Weather conditions (NCO.OP.160)
The pilot is solely responsible for the fulfillment of these obligations. It is entirely up to him to decide, on a case-by-case basis, which sources to use for a planned flight.
(NCO.OP.135)
(a) Before commencing a flight, the commander shall satisfy himself/herself by all reasonably available means that the ground and/or water facilities available and immediately required for the safe operation of the aircraft during such a flight, including communication facilities and navigational aids, are suitable for the type of air traffic in which the flight is to be conducted.
(b) Before commencing a flight, the commander shall have familiarized himself/herself with all available meteorological information appropriate to the intended flight. Preparations for a flight beyond the immediate vicinity of the departure point and for any flight under instrument flight rules include the following:
- studying the available current weather reports and forecasts and
- planning an alternative procedure to prepare for the possible event that the flight cannot be completed as planned due to weather conditions.
(NCO.OP.160)
a) The commander may only commence or continue a VFR flight if the current available meteorological information indicates that the weather conditions on the route and at the destination aerodrome will be at or above the appropriate VFR operating minima at the expected time of use.
(b) The commander may only commence or continue an IFR flight to the planned destination aerodrome if current meteorological information indicates that at the estimated time of arrival the weather conditions at the destination aerodrome or at least one destination alternate aerodrome will be at or above the appropriate aerodrome operating minima.
(c) When a flight contains VFR and IFR segments, the meteorological information referred to in points (a) and (b) shall apply where relevant.
