APR-B

Question 1

Required documents to act as PIC in IFR conditions

Answer 1

• Pilot Certificate, instrument rating
• current medical
• government ID

Question 2

What documents are required on board an aircraft prior to flight?

Answer 2

A - Airworthiness certificate
R - Registration certificate
R - Radio station license (for flights outside the US)
O - Operating limitations & information (in AFM)
W - Weight & Balance data (aircraft specific)
(§21.5, §91.103, §91.9, §91.203, ICAO Article 29)

Question 3

What is a SIGMET

Answer 3

A non-scheduled inflight advisory with a maximum forecast period of 4 hours. Advises of non-convective weather potentially hazardous to all types of aircraft.

Question 4

A SIGMET is issued when the following is expected to occur:

Answer 4

• Severe icing not associated with
  thunderstorms
• Severe or extreme turbulence or Clear Air
  Turbulence (CAT) not associated with
  thunderstorms.
• Dust storms, sandstorms lowering surface
  visibility below 3 miles.

Question 5

What is a CONVECTIVE SIGMET?

Answer 5

An inflight advisory of convective weather
significant to the safety of all aircraft.

• Issued hourly at 55 minutes past the hour for the
  western (W), eastern (E) and central (C) USA.
• Not issued for Alaska or Hawaii.

-Valid for 2 hours.

-Contains either an observation and a forecast or
only a forecast.

Question 6

What is a CONVECTIVE SIGMET issued for?

Answer 6

• Severe thunderstorms due to:
  ◦ Surface winds greater or equal to 50 knots
  ◦ Hail at the surface greater than 3/4 inch in
  diameter
• Tornadoes
• Embedded thunderstorms of any intensity
  level
• A line of thunderstorms at least 60 miles long
  with thunderstorms affecting at least 40% of its
  length.
• Thunderstorms producing heavy or greater
  precipitation (VIP level 4) affecting at least 40% of
  an area of at least 3000 square miles.
• Any Convective SIGMET implies severe or greater
  turbulence, severe icing, and low level wind shear.

Question 7

What is a INTERNATIONAL SIGMET

Answer 7

• Issued outside the Contiguous USA and follow ICAO
  coding standards.
• In the US, international SIGMETs are issued for areas
  that include Alaska, Hawaii, portions of the Atlantic
  and Pacific Oceans, and the Gulf of Mexico.

Question 8

When is an International SIGMET issued?

Answer 8

• Thunderstorms occurring in lines, embedded in
  clouds, or in large areas producing tornadoes or
  large hail.

-Tropical cyclones

-Severe icing

-Severe or extreme turbulence

-Dust storms and sandstorms lowering surface
visibility to less than 3 miles

-Volcanic ash

Question 9

What are Airmets?

Answer 9

• An advisory of significant weather phenomena at
  lower intensities than those which require the
  issuance of SIGMETs. These conditions may
  affect all aircraft but are potentially hazardous
  to aircraft with limited capability.
• Valid for 6 hours.

Question 10

What kinds of Airmets are there

Answer 10

• AIRMET (Tango) - describes moderate turbulence,
  sustained surface winds of 30 knots or greater,
  and/or non-convective low-level wind shear.
• AIRMET (Zulu) - describes moderate icing and
  provides freezing level heights.
• AIRMET (Sierra) - describes IFR conditions and/or
  extensive mountain obscurations.

*Graphical AIRMETs (AIRMET G) – found at www.
aviationweather.gov

Question 11

Where can winds aloft be found?

Answer 11

aviationweather.gov

Forecast

Winds/temp

Question 12

Winds and temps aloft forecasts

Answer 12

• Issued 4 times daily for various altitudes and flight levels.
• Winds at altitude up to 1500’ AGL and temperatures at up
  to 2500’ AGL are not shown.
• Format: DDff±tt, where DD = wind direction; ff = wind
  speed; tt = temperature. Light and variable winds: 9900.
  Winds between 100-199 Kt are coded by adding 5 to the
  first digit of the wind direction.
• Above FL240 temperatures are negative and the minus
  sign (-) is omitted.

Examples:
1312+05: winds 130 / 12 kt, 5°C.
7525-02: winds 250 / 125 kt, -2° C