Aviation Weather Services [Block 5] Flashcards
Types of Weather Reports
- METAR
- Pilot Report
- Radar Report
Pilot Reports (PIREPS)
What are they?
What are they the only means of observing?
- PIREP’s are inflight weather observations made by pilots
* PIREP’s are the only means or observing icing and turbulence
Pilot Report (PIREP) Elements
UA / UUA - OV - TM - FL - TP - SK -WX - TA -
WV - TB -IC
•Elements UA / UUA - Pilot Report / Urgent Pilot Report OV -Location TM - Time (Zulu) FL - Altitude / Flight Level TP - Type of Aircraft SK - Sky Cover WX - Weather and Flight Visibility TA - Temperature WV - Wind TB - Turbulence IC - Icing RM - Remarks
Types of Forecasts (4)
What are the three types of advisories?
•TAF •Area Forecast •Winds Aloft •Advisories –AIRMET –SIGMET –Convective SIGMET
Aviation Area Forecast (FA) TEST QUESTION
When are they issued?
What do they cover?
What are they used for?
What are they combined with?
•Issued 3 times daily
•Cover large geographic areas
•Used for airports which do not have TAF’s issued
*GETS ASKED ON STAGE CHECK
•Combined with Inflight Aviation Weather Advisories
Aviation Area Forecast (FA) TEST QUESTION
What are the 4 sections?
What are the 4th sections forecast periods?
•Sections
- Communications and Product Header
- Precautionary Statements
- Synopsis – summary of the location and movement of fronts
- VFR Clouds and Weather
- 18 Hour Forecast Period
- 12 Hour Specific Forecast
- 6 Hour Categorical Outlook
Categorical Outlooks
VFR
MVFR
IFR
LIFR
•VFR: –+5 SM and/or +3,000 feet •MVFR: –3-5 SM and/or 1,000 - 3,000 feet •IFR: –1-3 SM and/or 500 - 1,000 feet •LIFR: –less than 1 SM and/or 0 - 500 feet.
Inflight Aviation Weather Advisories TEST QUESTION
What are they?
When are they issued?
When are updates and corrections issued?
•AIRMET’s (WA)
–Issued on a scheduled basis every 6 hours
–Updates and corrections issued as necessary
AIRMET Types: TEST QUESTION
•Sierra
–Widespread IFR
–Ceilings 30 Knots
–Mountain Obscuration
•Zulu
–Moderate Icing
–Freezing Level Information
•Tango
–Moderate Turbulence
–Low Level Wind Shear
–Winds > 30 KNOTS
•SIGMET’s (WS) TEST QUESTON
What are they issued for?
–Issued for…
- Severe Icing not associated with Thunderstorms
- Severe or Extreme Turbulence
- Dust storms or Sandstorms lowering surface or inflight visibilities to below 3 miles
•Volcanic Ash
–Maximum Forecast Period: 4 Hours
–Unscheduled – Issued as Necessary
•Convective SIGMET’s (WST) TEST QUESTION
What are they issued for?
What is the forecast period?
When is it scheduled?
–Issued for…
•Severe Thunderstorms due to:
–Surface winds greater than or equal to 50 knots
–Hail at the surface greater than or equal to ¼ in.
–Tornados
- Embedded Thunderstorms
- A line of Thunderstorms
–Forecast Period: 2 Hours
–Scheduled – Issued at H+55
Winds Aloft Forecast (FB)
When is it issued? What is it based on? When are those launched? Where are winds not forecast? Where are temperatures not forecast?
- Issued 4 times daily
- Based on the 00Z, 06Z, 12Z and 18Z Radiosonde Launches
- No winds forecast within 1500 ft of the surface
- No temperatures forecast within 2500 ft of the surface
Winds Aloft Forecast (FB) Coding
•Coding of Wind Direction and Speed
9900 Calm
2426+03 - Wind 240º at 26 knots, Temp 3º C
7613-13 - Wind 260º at 113 knots, Temp -13ºC
- When the number is in excess of 50, the wind is in excess of 100 knots.
- Subtract 50 from the first pair of numbers and add 100 to the second pair.
Surface Analysis Chart
When are they valid?
When are they transmitted?
What features do they have?
- Valid only at time of issuance
- Transmitted every 3 hours
•Features –Isobars –Pressure Systems –Fronts –Troughs and Ridges
Weather Depiction Chart
When is it valid?
When are they transmitted?
When does transmission begin?
When is analysis IFR, MVFR, or VFR?
•Valid only at time of issuance
•Transmitted at 3 hour intervals beginning at 01Z
•Elements
–Station Data
–Cloud Height
–Weather and Obscurations to Visibility
–Visibility – included when 5 miles or less
–Analysis
•IFR – Ceiling 5 miles
