Significant Weather Info Flashcards
State the primary means of obtaining a WX briefing?
Briefer (AFSS/FSS)
List sources of WX information
DUATS (Direct User Access Terminal System)
Telephone Information Briefing Service (FSS/TIBS)
Inflight Weather Information 122.2
Private Source
Flight Watch on 122.0 is no more
What information should a briefing always include?
Synopsis Current Conditions Enroute Forecast Destination Forecast Adverse Conditions VFR Flight Not Recommended NOTAMS Winds Aloft ATC Delays
What is EFAS?
Enroute Flight Advisory Service
122.0
No longer in use
Define HIWAS
Hazardous Inflight Weather Advisory
(Continuous broadcast)
AUTOMATED
Provides inflight wx advisories including:
SIGMETs CONVECTIVE SIGMETs CENTER WX ADVISORIES AIRMETS URGENT PIREPS
How many types of METARs are there?
Two types
Routine METAR Report (Every Hour)
Aviation Selected Special Weather Report (SPECI)
What information can we expect on a SPECI?
Rapid change on wx conditions
Aircraft mishaps
Any critical information
It may be issued any time
Describe METAR elements
METAR/SPECI STATION IDENTIFIER DATE/TIME MODIFIER (AUTO) WIND VISIBILITY (RVR) WX PHENOMENA SKY CONDITION TEMP/DEW ALTIMETER REMARKS
State your process for obtaining weather data during the preflight phase?
Preliminary Flight Planning (Days in advance)
- Newspaper weather maps.
- TV and radio weather reports, such as The Weather Channel
- The Internet
Obtain Outlook Briefing
1. 6hrs or more before ETD
Obtain a Standard Briefing (Departure Day)
Telephone or electronic means include the following:
1. FSS
2. TIBS
3. DUATS
FAA-P-8740-30
What methods are actually recorded and qualify as weather briefing?
Recorded or electronic weather sources include
FSS
TIBS
DUATS
FAA-P-8740-30
State the reason why it is a good idea for the weather briefing to be recorded?
Per FAR 91.103
Each PIC must become familiar with
WEATHER REPORTS AND FORECASTS
For a flight under IFR or a flight not in the vicinity of an airport
The PIC is responsible for the outcome of the flight, therefore becoming familiar with weather and obtaining a weather briefing before each flight helps meet that requirement
The FARs do not state where an “official” briefing must come from
List forecasts and reports available to you for flight planning?
METAR PIREPS RADAR WEATHER REPORTS TAFs AREA FORECASTS SIGMET CONVECTIVE SIGMET AIRMET (S/T/Z) WINDS ALOFT/TEMP (FB) AVIATION WEATHER CHARTS
Define PIREP
Pilot Report
Report of meteorological conditions phenomena encountered by aircraft in flight
Actual conditions (not a forecast)
How is a pilot report filed in air?
Advise ATC you have a PIREP
Be Location Specific
Sky conditions (FEW/SCT/BKN/OVC) bases and tops
Turbulence Intensity (Negative/light/moderate/severe/extreme) Turbulence Frequency (chop/intermittent/continuous/occasional)
Air Temps in Celsius
Winds Aloft
(knots)
(Cardinal Direction N/E/S/W)
Icing Intensity (Trace/Light/Moderate/Severe) Type of ice (Rime/Clear/Mixed) When experiencing different icing conditions report where icing began and ended (e.g. Climb out)
Weather
In-flight visibility
Precipitation/Haze/Clouds
(Use whole numbers)
Remarks/Other
Things like wind-shear
Provide accurate measurements of the speed gained/lost, altitude and runway
Where can you find PIREPs?
FSS
DUATS
(Also found on aviationweather.gov)
What is a METAR?
Aviation Routine Weather Report
Weather observer interpretation of weather conditions at a given site and time
AC 00-45
What is an Area Forecasts?
Provides general descriptions of VFR sky and weather conditions affecting aircraft operations
12-hour aviation forecasts
6-hour categorical outlook
SFC - 45,000 AMSL
(Must be used in conjunction with the AIRMET Bulletins)
FAA P-8740-30
Are we still using Area Forecasts?
Good question??
What information does an Area Forecast contain?
Sypnosis
[brief discussion of sypnotic waeather affecting the FA area during the 18hr valid period]
Clouds and Weather
[Depiction of clouds and weather for the first 12hr period]
Cloud amount (SCT/BKN/OVC) for clouds with bases higher than or equal to 1000ft AGL below FL180
Cloud bases and tops (AMSL)
Precipitation
Visibility 3-5 SM and obstruction to visibility
Sustained surface winds of 20 knots or greater
12-18 hr Categorical outlook IFR Marginal VFR (MVFR) VFR Including precipitation and obstructions to visibility
AC 00-45
What is a Surface Analysis Chart?
Chart generated from surface station reports
Issued every 3 hours
Hawaii, tropical and Oceanic regions every 6 hours
What information does a Surface Analysis Chart contain?
Shows pressure systems, isobars, fronts, airmass boundaries
(such as: dry-lines and outflow boundaries)
AND
Station information (such as: wind, temperature/dew point, sky coverage, and precipitation)
What are the valid/issuance times for a Surface Analysis Chart?
[to be completed]
What is a radar summary chart?
[to be completed]
What information does a Radar Summary Chart contain?
[to be completed]
What are Radar Summary Chart valid/issuance times?
[to be completed]
Where can you find Winds/Temp Aloft?
[to be completed]
Why are winds and temperatures aloft important?
[to be completed]
How are values reported on a winds/temp aloft forecast?
[to be completed]
How long are winds/temps aloft valid for?
[to be completed]
How often are winds/temps aloft forecasted?
[to be completed]
Define SIGMET
Advises of weather, other than convective activity, that is potentially hazardous to all aircraft.
What info does a SIGMET contain?
SIGMETs are issued (for the lower 48 states and adjacent coastal waters) for the following weather-impacted reasons:
Severe Icing
Severe or Extreme Turbulence
Dust storms and/or sand storms lowering visibilities to less than three (3) miles
Volcanic Ash
Wat is an AIRMET?
Advises of weather potentially hazardous to all aircraft but does not meet SIGMET criteria
What info does an AIRMET contain?
Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) or Mountain Obscuration
Ceilings less than 1000 feet and/or visibility less than 3 miles affecting over 50% of the area at one time
Extensive mountain obscuration
Turbulence
Moderate Turbulence
Sustained surface winds of greater than 30 knots at the surface
Icing
Moderate icing
Freezing levels
How can you determine the freezing level?
[to be completed]
What factors must be considered when determining the freezing level?
[to be completed]
What information do you consider before making an adequate go/no-go decision?
[to be completed]
Is wind direction depicted in weather charts True or Magnetic?
“If you read it it’s true, if you hear it it’s magnetic”
The answer for charts is True
Why is wind direction depicted in True?
Planning purposes