Chapter 22 - Reporting and Forecasting Flashcards
What information does a SIGMET provide?
Significant weather information concerning the safety of all aircraft.
What information does an AIRMET provide?
Airmens weather information that is a concise description of weather phenominon that are occuring or may occur along a low level route (<fl100>
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What are the characteristics of a SIGMET?
Issued by a Met Watch Office (MWO)
Abbreviated plain language
Valid for 4 hours, or 6 hours for hurricans
Warnings relevant for all aircraft in the area.
May involve T/S; Hail; FZRA; Sev turbulence; Sev Iceing; SS; VA; Sev MTW.
No midnight time is used.
What is the rols of an MWO?
Maintain watch over met conditions
Prepare SIGMETs
Supply SIGMETs & other info related to it’s area
Disseminate SIGMETs
Supply pre eruption volcanic activity for SIGMETs not already issued
Supply info regarding radioactive materal in atmosphere
What are the characteristics of an AIRMET?
Routinely issued for 6 hour periods.
Abbreviated plain language
They report or forecast low level weather
They describe the same conditions as F214 & F215 significant weather charts
What are the characteristics of a VOLMET?
Certain stations continuously transmit weather for major airfields
Air information publication and flight guides list stations, their frequency & air stations included.
They provide information for aircraft in flight.
Can be in the form of D-VOLMET and VOLMET broadcast (and scheduled VOLMET broadcasts)
What information is included in a D-VOLMET?
METARs, SPECIs, TAFs, SIGMETs, information not covered by a SIGMET and AIRMETS, wheere available.
What information is included in a VOLMET broadcast?
METARs & SPECIs
What information is included in a scheduled VOLMET broadcast?
METARs, SPECIs TAFs & SIGMETs
What frequency would you find a continuous VOLMET broadcast on?
VHF
What frequency would you find a scheduled VOLMET broadcast on?
HF
What are 2 types of AIRMETS?
SNOWTAMs & ASHTAMs
What is a SNOWTAM?
Information on conditions at airfrield when snow, slush or ice are present.
What is an ASHTAM?
Information on the activity of a volcano and ash clouds.
What is ACARS?
Aircraft Communication Address & Report System.
Digital datalink system for tensmission of small messages between aircraft & ground stations via radio (VHF - limited by LOS) or satellite (expensive).
What is a TAF?
Terminal Aerodrome Forecast.
What is a METAR?
METeorological Aerodrome Report
What is a SPECI?
A SPECIal METAR.
What is prevailing visibilty?
The median visibilty from an observation point.
What is met visibility?
The worse visibility
What is the designation if clouds can’t be seen due to lack of vertical visibilty (e.g. due to snow)?
VV/// or VVhhh
What is the structure of a runway state code?
RR T E DD BB
RR - runway designator
T - Type of deposit
E - extent of contamination
DD - depth of deposit
BB - Braking conditions
What is a trend forecast?
A 2 hour forecast appended to the end of a METAR/SPECI, usually used for landing or take off.
What defines CAVOK?
Vis >=10km
No CB or TC reported.
No cloud below 5000ft or highest minimum sector altitude (MSA) (whichever is higher)
No significant weather
What are the 3 intensity/proximity weather codes?
+; -; VC.
+ - heavy
- light
VC - in the vicinity
What do each of the 8 Descriptor weather codes mean?
BC; BL; DR; FZ; MI; PR; SH; TS.
BC - Patches
BL - Blowing
DR - Drifting
FZ - Freezing
MI - Shallow
PR - Partial (partly covering aerodrome)
SH - Showers
TS - Thunderstorms
What do each of the 8 Precipitation weather codes mean?
DZ; GR; GS; IC; PL; RA; SG; SN.
DZ - Drizzle
GR - Hail
GS - Small hail (<5mm or snow pellets)
IC - Ice crystals (diamond dust)
PL - Ice pellets
RA - Rain
SG - Snow grains
SN - Snow
What do each of the 7 Obscuration weather codes mean?
BR; DU; FG; FU; HZ; SA; VA.
BR - Mist
DU - Widespread dust
FG - Fog
FU - Smoke
HZ - Haze
SA - Sand
VA - Volcanic ash
What do each of the 5 Other weather codes mean?
DS; FC; PO; SQ; SS.
DS - Duststorm
FC - Funnel cloud(s)
PO - Dust/sand whirls
DQ - Squall
SS - Sandstorm
What flight levels define a low level chart?
Surface - FL100
What flight levels define a medium level chart?
FL100 - FL 450
What flight levels define a high level chart?
FL 250 - FL630
