Weather

Question 1

Other weather sources?

Answer 1

Private industry (ForeFlight)
DUATS
Inflight FSS 122.2

Question 2

Types of weather briefings

Answer 2

Standard- for flight planning with no other source of previous info

Abbreviated- supplement to mass disseminated data

Outlook- when flight is 6+ hours out

Inflight- update to preflight briefing

Question 3

What Information should a wx briefing include?

Answer 3

ATC delays
Synopsis 
Adverse conditions 
Current conditions
Enroute forecast 
Destination forecast
Winds Aloft 
Notams 

Hint* A SACrED WiNd

Question 4

What is HIWAS

Answer 4

Hazardous Inflight weather advisory service

Continuous broadcast of inflight wx including SIGMETS AIRMETS PIREPS.

Question 5

What is ATIS?

Answer 5

Automatic Terminal Information Service

Continuous broadcast of recorded weather info in select high activity terminal areas

Relieves congestion and improves controller effectiveness

Hourly or special wx report

Question 6

What is included in ATIS broadcast?

Answer 6

Time
Ceiling 
Visibility
Temperature 
Dew point 
Wind direction (magnetic) and velocity 
Altimeter 
Remarks
Runways in use

Question 7

What is a METAR?

Answer 7

Aviation routine wx report

Wx observation stage a given site and time

Type, station, date/time, wind, vis, rvr, wx phenomena, sky condition, temp/dew, altimeter, remarks

Question 8

Describe various wx observing programs

Answer 8

AWOS
ASOS/AWSS
Manual observations

Question 9

What are PIREPS?
Where are they found?
Two types?

Answer 9

Wx observed by pilots en route

Type, location, time, flight level,type AC, at least one wx element encountered

Urgent UUA
Routine UA

Question 10

What are TAFs?

Answer 10

Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts

Meteorological conditions in 5 SM radius of airport for a specified time period

Valid 24 hrs, issued 4 times daily

Question 11

What is an aviation area forecast?

Answer 11

FA is forecast if VMC, clouds, gen wx over an area the size of several states. Used to forecast ENROUTE wx.

3 times daily for 6 areas in the 48 states

Question 12

What are inflight aviation weather advisories?

Answer 12

Convective SIGMET- significant wx hazardous to all aircraft having to do with thunderstorms. 
-surface winds 50+
-hail +3/4 in diameter
-tornadoes
-embedded thunderstorms 
-squall line
-valid 2 hours
SIGMET- non convective wx that is still potentially hazardous to all aircraft 
-severe icing
-severe turbulence (CAT)
-dust storms
-volcanic ash
AIRMET-significant wx of Lower intensity. Issued every 6 hours
-Sierra (IMC or Mountain obscuration)
-tango (mod turbulence, wind +30, LLWS)
-Zulu (mod icing, freezing levels)

Question 13

What is winds and temp aloft forecast? What can be determined?

Answer 13

Issued 4 times daily
Wind direction to true north
Wind speed in knots
Temperature Celsius

Most favorable Altitude
Areas of possible icing
Temperature inversions
Turbulence

Question 14

What is convective outlook?

Answer 14

Graph displaying potential for convective activity for following 3 days. Defines areas of slight moderate and high risk of severe thunderstorms

Question 15

What is a surface analysis chart?

Answer 15

pressure systems and fronts
Winds/temp/dew point
Issued every 3 hours

Question 16

What is a radar summary chart?

Answer 16

Displays areas of precipitation, intensity, configuration, coverage
Does NOT display clouds or fog

Question 17

What is a weather depiction chart?

Answer 17

Analysis of flying categories (IFR, MVFR, VFR)

Issued 8 times daily

Question 18

What info do short range prognostic charts provide?

Answer 18

Pressure systems
Fronts
Precipitation
For a 2 day period

Question 19

What are NOTAMs?

Answer 19

Notices to Airmen. Time critical, usually temporary in nature.

Airport or runway closures
Changes to NAVAIDS
ILSs
Radar service availability

(D)
FDC
Pointer Notams
Military Notams

Question 20

What are the 2 major classifications of thunderstorms?

Answer 20

Air mass thunderstorms: surface heating in unstable air lasting only an hour or 2

Steady state thunderstorms: form in lines, last several hours, dump heavy rain and possible hail, strong gusty wind, possible tornadoes. Normally associated with weather systems and fronts

Question 21

Do’s and Don’t’s of thunderstorms

Answer 21

Don’t take off or land in face of approaching thunderstorm
Don’t fly under thunderstorms
Don’t fly without airborn radar into cloud mass
Do avoid by 20 miles
Do clear top by 1000 ft per 10 kts
Do avoid entire area if 6/10 coverage

Frequent lightning indicates severe thunderstorms

Question 22

Can ATC provide inflight weather avoidance assistance?

Answer 22

Yes, to an extent. Their primary responsibility is aircraft separation.

Question 23

What are microbursts?

Answer 23

Small scale intense downdrafts that on reaching the surface spread out in all directions. Presence of both horizontal and vertical wind shear.
Not easily detectable

Question 24

Characteristics of microbursts?

Answer 24

Size- less than 1 mile diameter as it descends and can extend 2.5 miles near ground level

Intensity- 6,000fpm and 90kt windshears possible

Duration- usually less than 15 minutes

Question 25

What types of weather information will you examine to determine if microburst/wind shear conditions might affect your flight?

Answer 25

LLWAS reports - low level wind shear alert system

TAFs, METARs, SIGMETS

Question 26

Define wind shear and state the areas in which it is likely to occur.

Answer 26

Rate of change of wind velocity (direction and/or speed) vertically or horizontally

Low level temperature inversions
Frontal zones or thunderstorms
Clear air turbulence

Question 27

Why is wind shear an operational concern to pilots?

Answer 27

Unexpected changes in wind speed/direction can be very hazardous at low levels on approach to and departing from airports

Question 28

What airplane characteristics will be observed in the following wind shear situations?

Sudden increase in headwind?
Sudden decrease in headwind?

Answer 28

Increased headwind- increase in airspeed and nose up pitching… your reaction would be to reduce power and pitch which would be dangerous if it goes back to a tailwind and/or downdraft

Decreased headwind - pitch and airspeed decrease and loss of altitude… reaction would be more power and pitch up to climb or remain on glide slope.

Question 29

What is the LLWAS system?

Answer 29

Low level wind shear alert system

Compares winds measured by sensors on the periphery of an airport to with wind measures at the center of the airport. If the difference is excessive, wind shear is possible

Question 30

Define IFR, MVFR, VFR.

Answer 30

Instrument flight rules
Ceiling - 1,000 vis -3 miles

Marginal VFR
Ceiling 1000-3000 vis 3-5 mi

Visual flight rules
Ceiling +3,000 ft vis +5 miles

Question 31

What are the 3 stages of a thunderstorm and what conditions must be met for thunderstorm to form.

Answer 31

Lifting action, sufficient moisture, unstable lapse rate

Cumulus, mature, dissipating.

Question 32

Occluded front?

Answer 32

When a fast moving cold front catches up with a warm front.

Warm front occlusion typically has more severe weather than cold front occlusion. Air ahead of warm front is colder than than the air of the cold front.