Weather Flashcards
What are the two main categories of sources of weather data?
- Federal government - FAA & NWS collect observations, NWS analyzes the observations and produces forecasts, and FAA and NWS disseminate observations, analyses, and forecasts through various systems. Federal government is the only approval authority for sources of weather observations
- Commercial weather information providers - repackage proprietary weather products based on NWS information with formatting and layout modification but make no material changes to the weather information.
Aviation Weather Handbook
Does the weather provided by commercial and/or third-party vendors satisfy the preflight action required by 91.103?
Weather provided by entities other than the FAA, NWS and their contractors may not meet FAA/NWS quality control standards. That said, it’s not in violation of the regulation.
AIM 7-1-3
Does the FAA consider weather self-briefings compliant with the regulations?
For many GA pilots, the FSS remains an important source of comprehensive weather and aeronautical info. However, most pilots have become more accustomed to performing a self-briefing. According to the FAA a self-briefing may be compliant with current regulations.
AC 91-92
What types of weather briefings are available from an AFSS/FSS briefer?
Standard Briefing - Request when you are planning a flight and you have not received a previous briefing or have not received preliminary information through online sources.
Abbreviated Briefing - Request when you need information to supplement mass disseminated data, update a previous briefing, or when you only need one or two items.
Outlook Briefing - request whenever your proposed time of departure is 6 or more hrs from the time of the briefing
Inflight Briefing - request when needed to updated a preflight briefing
AIM 7-1-5
What pertinent information should a weather briefing include?
Adverse conditions
VFR flight not recommended
Synopsis
Current conditions
Enroute forecast
Destination forecast
Winds aloft
ATC delays, NOTAMS, and additional information upon request
AIM 7-1-5
What is a Flight Information Service-Broadcast (FIS-B)?
A ground-based broadcast service provided through the ADS-B Universal Access Transceiver (UAT) network, providing users with 978 MHz data link capability when operating within range and line-of-sight of a transmitting ground station and enabling properly equipped aircraft to receive and display a suite of broadcast weather and aeronautical products.
AIM 7-1-9
Can onboard datalink weather (FIS-B) be useful in navigating an aircraft safely around an area of thunderstorms?
The products provided are not appropriate for tactical avoidance of severe weather such as navigating a path through a weather hazard area (necessary timeframe of less than 3 min). FIS supports strategic (typical timeframe of 20 min or more) weather decision-making such as route selection to avoid a weather hazard area in its entirety.
AIM 7-1-9
While en route, how can a pilot obtain updated weather information?
- FSS on 122.2 and appropriate RCO frequencies
- Automated Terminal Information Service (ATIS)/Automated Surface Observing Systems (ASOS)/Automated Weather Observing Systems (AWOS) broadcasts along route of flight
- Listen to Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) broadcasts—Aviation Watch Notification Messages, SIGMETs, AIRMETs, PIREPs, or Center Weather Advisory alerts are broadcast once on all frequencies except emergency
- Datalink weather—cockpit display of FIS-B information
- Air Traffic Control (ATC)
What is a METAR and what are the two types?
Hourly surface observation of conditions observed at an airport.
Routine - transmitted every hour
Special - given any time to update the METAR for rapidly changing weather conditions, aircraft mishaps, or other critical information
Aviation Weather Handbook
Describe the basic elements of a METAR.
Type of Reports - the METAR and the SPECI
ICAO station identifier
Date and time of report - 6-digit date/time group appended with Z. First two digits are date, then two for the hr and two for min
Modifier - As required; if used, the modifier AUTO identifies the report as automated with no himan intervention. If Auto is show in the body of the report, AO1 or AO2 will be encoded in the remarks of the section to indicate the type of precipitation sensor used at the station
Wind - 5-digit group (6 digits if speed is over 99 kts); first 3 digits = wind direction, next 2 digits are avg speed
Visibility - surface visibility in statute miles
Runway Visual Range (RVR) - As required
Weather phenomena - broken into two categories: qualifiers and weather phenomena
Sky condition - Amount/height/type or indefinite ceiling/height (vertical visibility) in ft AGL
Temperature/dew point group - temps below 0 are prefixed with M
altimeter setting
remarks
Aviation Weather Handbook
Describe the types of weather observing programs available.
ATIS - Automated Terminal Information System; with only a few exceptions, these reports are from airports staffed by FAA personnel who manually observe, perform calculations, and enter their observations into the communication system
AWOS - Automated Weather Observing System; consists of various sensors, a processor, a computer generated voice, and a transmitter to broadcast local, minute-by-minute weather data directly to the pilot
ASOS - Automated Surface Observing System; ASOS stations are more advanced than AWOS and are used for more than just broadcasting current weather information. For example, ASOS stations play a vital role in generating forecasts (like TAFs).
AIM 7-1-10
What are PIREPS and where are they usually found?
Pilot weather Reports
- Provide valuable information regarding the conditions as they actually exist in the air, which cannot be gathered from any other source
- There are two types: routine or UA, and urgent or UUA. They should be given to they ground facility with which communications are established
- These are available from ATC, FSS, and on the internet via ADDS web page at: aviationweather.gov/airep
Aviation Weather Handbook
What are Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts (TAF)?
A concise statement of the expected meteorological conditions for a specified time period within 5SM of the center of the airport’s runway complex. These use the same codes as METARs and generally follow the same format.
Aviation Weather Handbook
Define Aviation Area Forecast (FA).
Issued for the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and Alaska. An abbreviated plain language forecast concerning the occurence or expected occurence of specified enroute Wx phenomena. Used (in conjunction with AIRMETs, SIGMETs, CWAs, etc) to determine forecast enroute Wx over a specified geographic region. Cover an 18 hour period and issued 3 times daily.
Aviation Weather Handbook
From which primary source should information be obtained regarding expected weather at ETA if your destination does not have a TAF?
Graphical Forecasts for Aviation (GFA)
Aviation Weather Handbook
Describe the Graphical Forecasts for Aviation.
- Graphics that provide observations, forecasts, and warnings that can be viewed from 14 hrs in the past to 18 hrs in the future
- Covers the CONUS from surface to FL480. Wind, icing, and turbulence forecasts are available in 3000 ft increments from surface to FL300, and 6000 ft increments from FL300 to FL480
- Turbulence forecasts are also broken into LO (below FL180) and HI (above FL180)
- A max icing graphic and max wind velocity graphic are also available
- This is the graphic shown when clicking on the current conditions map on aviationweather.gov
AIM 7-1-4, Aviation Weather Handbook
What type of forecasts are available when selecting the Forecast tab of the GFA?
Provides gridded displays of various weather parameters as well as NWS textual weather observations, forecasts, and warnings out to 15 hours. Icing, turbulence, and wind gridded products are 3-dimensional. The following forecasts are available:
- TAF
- Ceilings/Visibility
- Clouds
- Precip/Wx
- Thunderstorms
- Winds/Temp Aloft
- Turbulence
- Icing
AIM 7-1-4
Describe some of the weather products available when selecting the Obs/Warn tab of the GFA.
Displays data for current time and previous 14 hrs, in hr increments.
- METAR
- PCPN/WX
- CIG/VIS
- PIREP
- RAD/SAT
AIM 7-1-4
What are the four types of Inflight Aviation Weather Advisories?
- SIGMET (WS)
- Convective SIGMET (WST)
- AIRMET (WA)
- Center Weather Advisory (CWA)
All heights are MSL except ceilings
AIM 7-1-6, Aviation Weather Handbook
What is a Convective SIGMET?
Implies severe or greater turbulence, severe icing, and low-level wind shear. They can be issued for any convective situation that the forecaster believes to be hazardous for all categories of aircraft. Convective SIGMET bulletins are issued for Eastern (E), Central (C), and Western (W) US. Issued hourly at H+55. Can consist of observation and forecast or just forecast, which is valid for up to 2 hrs and includes information regarding:
- Severe thunderstorm due to sfc winds greater than or equal to 50 kts, hail at the sfc greater than or equal to 3/4 inch diameter, and/or tornadoes
- Embedded thunderstorms
- A line of thunderstorms
- Thunderstorms producing greater than or equal to heavy precipitation that affects 40% or more of an area of at least 3000 square miles
Aviation Weather Handbook
What is a SIGMET?
Advises of weather that is potentially hazardous to all aircraft. They are unscheduled and valid for 4 hrs, except those associated with tropical cyclones and volcanic ash clouds which are valid for 6 hrs and issued when the following occur or are expected to occur:
- Severe icing not associated with thunderstorms
- Severe or extreme turbulence or clear air turbulence not associated with thunderstorms
- Widespread dust storms or sandstorms lowering surface visibility to below 3 miles
- Volcanic ash
AIM 7-1-6
