Faa Task C: Weather Information

Question 1

Sources of weather data (e.g., National Weather Service, Flight Service) for flight planning purposes.

Answer 1

FSS and AWC.

Question 2

Acceptable weather products and resources required for preflight planning, current and forecast
weather for departure, en route, and arrival phases of flight such as:

Answer 2

GFA, Metar, TAF, NOTAMS.

Question 3

Airport Observations (METAR and SPECI) and Pilot Observations (PIREP)

Answer 3

Metar: hourly. A routine weather report.
Speci: Special weather report, unscheduled.
PIREP: Pilot reported weather, best source of information.

Question 4

Surface Analysis Chart, Ceiling and Visibility Chart (CVA)

Answer 4

SAC: Current and shows fronts, Low and High, Trough and Ridge.

Question 5

Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts (TAF)

Answer 5

forecast, 5sm within center of an airport, valid for 24 hours or 30 hrs
Routine TAF
Amended TAF

Question 6

Graphical Forecasts for Aviation (GFA)

Answer 6

includes cloud cover, visibility, icing, turbulence, and winds aloft.

Question 7

Wind and Temperature Aloft Forecast (FB)

Answer 7

Forecast winds and temp at altitude, true north and winds are knots.

Question 8

Convective Outlook (AC)

Answer 8

Narrative and Graphical outlook of potential severe and non severe convection. 8 days, MRGL, SLGT, ENH, MDT, HIGH risk.

Question 9

Inflight Aviation Weather Advisories including Airmen’s Meteorological Information (AIRMET),
Significant Meteorological Information (SIGMET), and Convective SIGMET

Answer 9

AIRMET: Valid for 6 hours. 3 types:
Airmet Tango: For sustained surface winds 30kts or greater and moderate turbulance
Airmet Zulu: Freezing levels and Icing
Airmet Sierra: IFR and mountain obscurations.

SIGMET: Valid for 4 Hours:
Severe icing and turbulence
Widespread dust or sandstorms lowering vis to <3sm

Convective SIGMET:
Severe thunderstorms due to:
3/4inD hail, tornados and wind 50kts or more.

Question 10

Atmospheric composition and stability

Answer 10

78% Nitrogen
21% Oxygen
1% other.

Stable resist upward movements
Unstable doesn’t

29.92 15c(2 lapse), 59f (3.5 lapse)

Question 11

Wind (e.g., windshear, mountain wave, factors affecting wind, etc.)

Answer 11

Factors Affecting Wind: Include pressure differences, Coriolis effect, fronts, geographical features, jet streams, and thermals.

Wind Shear: Sudden changes in wind speed or direction.

Land Breeze: Cold air over land goes towards the warmer air over water, High to low. At night
Sea Breeze: Opposite and during day

If winds are too weak to provide a meaningful direction, they are coded as “9900”, meaning “light and variable.”

Question 12

Temperature and heat exchange

Answer 12

happens via conduction, convection, and radiation, redistributing energy throughout the atmosphere.

Question 13

Moisture/precipitation

Answer 13

More moist = less dense

Question 14

Weather system formation, including air masses and fronts

Answer 14

Air masses form when large, uniform areas of air experience similar temperature and humidity conditions over an extended period.

When two air masses of different temperatures and densities meet, a front forms.

Cold: Forms when a colder, denser air mass pushes into a region of warmer air, forcing the warm air to rise quickly

Warm:Warm air moves into cooler air, causing gradual, steady weather changes with a slow temperature increase.

Occluded: Fast moving cold catches slow warm. 2 types. W occ and C occ.

Stationary: Air masses are = and they don’t move

Question 15

Clouds

Answer 15

High
Middle
Low
Clouds with extensive vertical development.

Question 16

Turbulence

Answer 16

irregular air movement

Convective Turbulence, Mechanical Turbulence, Clear Air Turbulence (CAT), Wake Turbulence,

Light, Moderate, Severe, Extreme

Question 17

Thunderstorms and microbursts

Answer 17

Unstable, moist air and a lifting action.

Up to 6000ft/min downdrafts last less than 15 mins

Strongest during 3-5 minutes

Question 18

Icing and freezing level information

Answer 18

AWC, GFA’s. forcast

Structural 3 main types:
Clear: Super cooled water hits, some freezes the rest smears then freezes.
Rime: Colder air, it freezes instantly
Mixed: A mix of both.

Induction: carb icing

Instrument: Static Pitot system.

Question 19

Fog/mist

Answer 19

Fog = Denser, visibility less than 1 SM, forms when air reaches dew point.
Mist = Less dense, visibility more than 1 SM, forms when air is humid but not fully saturated.

Question 20

Frost

Answer 20

when the surface temperature meets the dew point and the dew point is also below freezing.

Question 21

Obstructions to visibility (e.g., smoke, haze, volcanic ash, etc.)

Answer 21

Worse in stable atmosphere. Haze makes you appear further away.

Question 22

Flight deck instrument displays of digital weather and aeronautical information.

Answer 22

FISB: Don’t use it for weather avoidance.