Flying 1: Clouds, Ceiling, Visibility, and Fog

Question 1

What are the two main types of clouds?

Answer 1

normal and special

Question 2

What are the two types of normal clouds?

Answer 2

cumuliform and stratiform

Question 3

What are cumuliform (convective) clouds?

Answer 3

puffy and associated with updrafts

Question 4

Cumuliform (convective) clouds:

When do they form?

Answer 4

when humid air rises through cooler air

• occurs when air at ground is colder than surface (ie. air above the ocean is colder than the ocean surface)
• occurs behind cold fronts
• clear days when sunshine warms the earth more than air
• cold air blows over warm air or warm body of air

Question 5

When does humid air rise through cooler air?

Answer 5

• occurs when air at ground is colder than surface (ie. air above the ocean is colder than the ocean surface)
• occurs behind cold fronts
• clear days when sunshine warms the earth more than air
• cold air blows over warm air or warm body of air

Question 6

Cumuliform (convective) clouds:

What drives the strong updrafts?

Answer 6

buoyancy

Question 7

Cumuliform (convective) clouds:

What are the 4 classifications and what are they classified by?

Answer 7

classified by vertical depth

Cumulus humilis (small): can have turbulence from updraft

Cumulus mediocris (medium): can have turbulence from updraft

Cumulus congestus (large): poses hazard, thunderstorms and violent updrafts

Cumulonimbus (thunderstorm): poses hazard, thunderstorms and violent updrafts

Question 8

What are stratiform (layer) clouds?

Answer 8

flatter like sheets or blanket, and can extend hundreds of kilometers

Question 9

Stratiform (layer) clouds:

How must pilots fly?

Answer 9

need to rely on IFR

Question 10

Stratiform (layer) clouds:

What may form edges if cloud is below freezing?

Answer 10

ice

Question 11

Stratiform (layer) clouds:

When do they form?

Answer 11

where there are layers in the atmosphere with different relative temperatures

• associated with warm fronts
• high clouds approach first, followed by lower clouds

Question 12

Stratiform (layer) clouds:

How are they classified?

Answer 12

classified by altitude: they get thicker and less holes with decreasing altitude

high
middle
low

Question 13

Stratiform (layer) clouds:

What are the high clouds?

Answer 13

Cirrus: thin wispy, ice and crystals

Cirrostratus: thin but with more coverage: ice, halo

Cirrocumulus: mix, a bit lumpier

Question 14

Stratiform (layer) clouds:

What are the middle clouds?

Answer 14

Altostratus: mix, corona

Altocumulus: lumpier, mix

Question 15

Stratiform (layer) clouds:

What are the low clouds?

Answer 15

Stratus: well defined cloud base, no precipitation

Nimbostratus: blurry cloud base, some type of precipitation

Question 16

What are castellanus clouds?

• description
• appearance
• info

Answer 16

unstable airloft

appearance: small castle turrets

info:
- atmosphere is unstable
- thunderstorms possible later in the day

Question 17

What are billow clouds?

• description
• appearance
• info

Answer 17

unstable airloft

appearance: waves in a cloud

info:
- indicates wind shear and creates CAT (clear-air turbulence)
- related to Kevin-Helmholtz waves

Question 18

What are lenticular clouds?

• description
• appearance
• info

Answer 18

mountain waves, strong winds across mountains

appearance: “bubble shape,” little UFOs

info:
- wind oscillations
- may indicate mountain wind turbulence

Question 19

What are rotor clouds?

• description
• appearance
• info

Answer 19

strong winds across mountains

appearance: ragged looking under mountain

info:
- ragged looking cloud that forms at low altitude under crests of mountain waves
- BIG HAZARD

Question 20

What are banner clouds?

• description
• appearance
• info

Answer 20

strong winders across mountains

appearance: like a banner blowing off the mountain

info:

• indicates strong turbulence
• usually only on an isolated peak

Question 21

What are pyrocumulus clouds?

• description
• appearance
• info

Answer 21

extra heat

appearance: located over a big fire or volcano
info: heat and moisture released is so strong it can make a thunderstorm

Question 22

What are pileus clouds?

• description
• appearance
• info

Answer 22

updrafts

appearance: little hat on cumulus clouds
info: form over fast-growing cumulus clouds

Question 23

What are fractus (scud) clouds?

• description
• appearance
• info

Answer 23

low altitude turbulence

appearance: ragged, low

info:
- turbulent humid air near ground
- indicates high humidity and strong winds

Question 24

What are fumulus clouds?

• description
• appearance
• info

Answer 24

man-made

appearance: above smoke stacks
info: water droplets condense over cooling towers

Question 25

What are contrails clouds?

• description
• appearance
• info

Answer 25

man-made

appearance: trails behind airplanes
info: from wing-tip vortices on airplanes

Question 26

Describe cloud coverage.

Answer 26

0/8 oktas: sky clear (nothing) - SKC
1/8: few clouds (small trails) - FEW
2/8: few clouds (small trails) - FEW
3/8: scattered (large gaps) - SCT
4/8: scattered (large gaps) - SCT
5/8: broken (small gaps) - BKN
6/8: broken (small gaps) - BKN
7/8: broken (small gaps) - BKN
8/8: overcast (no gaps) -OVC

Question 27

Describe how altitude affects clouds coverage.

Answer 27

flying at altitude just above or just below a the level of clouds make them appear to have more coverage than they actually do

Question 28

What is a cloud ceiling?

Answer 28

clouds that cover more than half of the sky

Question 29

How does the cloud ceiling affect pilots?

Answer 29

restricts them to fly below it

Question 30

What is vertical visibility?

Answer 30

when ground visibility is very poor