NIFE Weather 6-4-1 Planning and Resources Flashcards
Define flight visibility
Average forward horizontal distance from cockpit in SM at which a pilot can see and identify prominent unlighted objects by day and prominent lighted objects at night.
Define prevailing visibility
Greatest horizontal visibility in SM, equaled or exceeded throughout over half a horizontal, circular area; may not be continuous
Define slant range visibility.
The distance on final approach at which the runway environment is in sight.
Difficult to estimate from the ground.
Only known from the pilot or NFO viewing the runway from the cockpit
Define runway visual range (RVR)
The horizontal distance, expressed in hundreds of feet or meters, a pilot will see by looking down the runway from the approach end. The most important when IFR
Describe the sky coverage terms that define a ceiling
Judged by altitude (multiple levels of clouds) Clear 0/8 Few >0/8 to 2/8 Scattered 3/8-4/8 Broken 5/8-7/8 Overcast 8/8 Obscured (fog) 8/8
Describe the use of Pilot Weather Reports (PIREPs)
- Used to supplement ground station weather observations
- Required: ceiling at or below 5000’ AGL, Visibility at or below 5 statute miles, thunderstorms or related phenomena, light icing or greater, moderate turbulence or greater, wind shears
Describe In-Flight Weather Advisories
- AIRMETs and SIGMETs available on ADDS website and provide info on potential hazardous weather
- Shows 3000sq miles, accounts for turbulence, icing, visibility less than 3 miles, and volcanic ash clouds
Describe the use of Surface Analysis Charts
- Depicts pressure centers, fronts, and barometric pressure lines
- Shows Observed weather, meaning that the chart represents past history, and is not a forcast
Describe prognostic charts
Available on the prog charts section of the NOAA aviation digital data service site. Include the latest surface analysis along with multiple forecasts for up to a week
Interpret Surface Analysis Charts
- Valid time (VT) is observed time of the information and is given in UTC at top right
- Isobars are at 4-millibar intervals
- The observed barometric pressure at pressure centers are also shown
Describe the use of Weather Prognostic Charts
- Available on NOAA Aviation Digital Data Service (ADDS) site
- Include latest surface analysis along with multiple forecasts for up to a week
- Predicted positions of fronts and pressure centers, as well as forecasted weather across the country
Identify the information displayed on station models
https://quizlet.com/cdn-cgi/image/f=auto,fit=cover,h=200,onerror=redirect,w=240/https://o.quizlet.com/J.7qxmtQQfEZBdaKDBQqSA.jpg
Describe the use of METARs in flight planning
- Aviation Routine Weather Report
- Most widely used for interpreting weather and forecasts (teletype)
- Uses only letters and numbers
- Determines if field conditions are IFR or VFR
- Used to determine weather trends
Describe the use of TAFs in flight planning
- Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts
- Shows surface forecast weather conditions (helps with planning IFR/VFR)
- Shows everything METARs does plus wind shear, temperature, icing, and turbulence groups
Interpret forecast weather conditions from a TAF
https://o.quizlet.com/c8VQ0hXcpAcZLBaei7OTdw.jpg