Weather Products Flashcards
What is the primary means of obtaining a weather briefing?
The flight service station (FSS) is the primary source for obtaining preflight briefings and inflight weather information. (1-800-WX-BRIEF) or (DUATS) or (aviationweather.gov)
You’re planning a cross-country flight. Does the weather data provided by commercial and/or third party vendors satisfy the preflight action required by 14 CFR 91.103?
Weather services provided by entities other than the FAA, NWS or their contractors might not meet FAA/NWS quality control standards.
What type of weather briefings are available from an FSS briefer?
- Standard Briefing - Request when you are planning a flight and you have not received a previous briefing.
- Abbreviated Briefing - Request when you need information to update a previous briefing, or when you need only one or two items.
- Outlook Briefing - Request whenever your proposed time of departure is six or more hours from the time of the briefing; for planning purposes only.
- Inflight Briefing - Request when needed to update a preflight briefing.
What is HIWAS?
Hazardous In-flight Weather Advisory Service is a continuous broadcast of in-flight weather advisories including summarized Aviation Weather Warnings, SIGMETs, Convective SIGMETs, Center Weather Advisories, AIRMETs, and urgent PIREPs. NAVAIDS with “H” indicate a HIWAS.
While en route, how can a pilot obtain updated weather information?
- FSS
- ATIS
- HIWAS
- Fore flight
- ATC
What is a METAR?
An hourly surface observation of conditions observed at an airport.
What is an AWOS?
Automated Weather Observing System
What is an ASOS?
Automated Surface Observing System
What are PIREPs?
Pilot reports provide valuable information regarding the conditions as they actually exist in the air; which cannot be gathered from any other source.
What is a TAF?
Terminal Aerodrome Forecast. It is a forecast at an airport covering a 5SM distance around the airport. They provide a forecast for 24 hours and are issued 4 times per day.
What are the different in-flight weather advisories provided?
SIGMETs, Convective SIGMETs and AIRMETs.
What is a SIGMET?
A SIGMET advises of weather that is potentially hazardous to all aircraft. They are valid for 4 hours. SIGMETs are issued when the following occur or are expected to occur:
- Severe icing not associated with thunderstorms.
- Severe or extreme turbulence or clear air turbulence (CAT) not associated with thunderstorms.
- Widespread dust storms or sandstorms lowering surface visibilities to below 3 miles.
- Volcanic ash.
What is a convective SIGMET?
A convective SIGMET implies severe or greater turbulence, severe icing, and low level wind shear associated with convection. Some common reasons they are issued are
- Severe thunderstorm due to :
- Surface winds greater than or equal to 50 knots.
- Hail at the surface greater than or equal to 3/4 inches in diameter
- Tornadoes - Embedded Thunderstorms
- A line of thunderstorms
What is an AIRMET?
Advisories of significant weather phenomena that describe conditions at intensities lower than those which require the issuance of SIGMETs, intended for use by all pilots in the preflight and enroute phase of flight to enhance safety. Valid for 6 hours. 3 different types:
- Sierra : IFR conditions and/or extensive mountain obscurations.
- Tango : Moderate turbulence, sustained surface winds of 30 knots or greater, and/or non convective low-level wind shear.
- Zulu - Moderate icing and provides freezing heights.
Define IFR, MVFR and VFR.
- IFR - Ceiling less than 1,000’ and/or visibility less than 3SM.
- MVFR - Ceiling 1,000’ to 3,000’ and/or visibility 3-5SM
- VFR - Ceilings greater than 3,000’ and visibility greater than 5 SM.
