Weather Reporting and Forecasts Flashcards
What do FIC’s provide?
What is an AWBS?
What is an FISE?
Flight Information Centers
Provide “Aviation Weather Briefing Service” (AWBS)
Tx/Rx on FISE (Flight Information Service En-route) frequency:
- Pilots can request:
(a) meteorological information (i.e. METAR, TAF, altimeter, etc)
(b) aeronautical information (i.e. NOTAM)
(c) relay of comms with ATC (IFR clearance and
SVFR authorization) - FICs can broadcast (on FISE and 126.7):
a) Weather broadcast (SIGMET, urgent PIREP)
b) VFR flight plan alerting (RCC notification and comms searches when an aircraft on VFR flight plan/itinerary becomes overdue and needs SAR)
c) Flight relay message service: (relay of messages
between aircraft in flight and the operating agency,
and vice versa. Agency must be subscribed. Annual $$).
What does an FSS provide?
What is provided during initial communications with an aircraft?
Where are they located? (Class)
Provided in Class E control zones.
-Aerodrome advisory service (AAS): provide information pertinent to arrival/departure phases of flight at uncontrolled aerodromes and for
transit through MF area. AAS is provided on MF.
-they provide:
i. runway;
ii. wind direction/speed;
iii. air traffic that warrants attention;
iv. vehicle traffic;
v. wake turbulence cautionary;
vi. aerodrome conditions;
vii. weather conditions;
viii. additional information of interest for the safety of flight. NOTAM RSC and CRFI
How do you address FIC and FSS on the radio?
Can an Aerodrome Advisory Service (AAS) be remote?
Address them as “RADIO”
Yes. RAAS. (Just like Island Lake!)
What are some other sources you can use to get weather info?
Internet (nav Canada, windy, weather network)
1-866-WXBRIEF
ATIS (automatic terminal info service)
What does the term CAVOK mean in an ATIS?
What system do they use for chronological order of issuance?
> No cloud below 5000’ AGL or below the highest minimum sector altitude (MSA) whichever is higher
Visibility 6+ SM
No precipitation, thunderstorms or CBs, shallow fog, or low drifting snow
Phonetic alphabet is used
What is a VOLMET used for?
Used for flights over high seas
Where can a pilot find what weather briefing services are available at a particular location?
CFS
What are the four main FISE frequencies?
123.275
123.375
123.475
123.550 MHz
Pilots can get information during the en route portion of flight from a FSS using the FISE frequency.
True or false?
False, FIC is for FISE
Pilots are required to tune in the ATIS prior to making initial contact with ATC / FSS.
True or false?
False, If ATIS is available, all pilots should use it, not mandatory.
A notam is issued for what changes?
- Aeronautical Facility
- Service
- Procedure
- Hazard
What is a NOTAMN
NOTAMR
NOTAMC?
New NOTAM
Replacing NOTAM
Cancelling NOTAM
NOTAMs are not usually issued more than _____ days in advance.
14
What is a METAR?
How often is it issued?
Is it a forecast or actual weather?
What is the radius of a METAR?
Routine aviation weather report
Issued every 1hr UTC
Actual weather at the time
5nm radius of the aerodrome
In a METAR:
Winds are true/magnetic?
Windspeed in mph/knots?
Clouds asl/agl?
Visibility NM or SM
Times in local or UTC?
What is a CCA?
When is METAR valid?
What is issued if there is enough change in conditions but not on the hour?
True
Knots
Agl
SM
UTC
collection code (alpha being the first)
Valid at the time of observation
A SPECI is issued
What is a speci?
Can more than one be issued?
Is a special report that denotes changes off-hour.
Yes more than one can be issued
Sky coverage amounts in a metar and TAF are cumulative. True or false?
What are the codes for sky cover amounts?
True
- SKC = 0 oktas
- FEW = <1 - 2 oktas
- SCT = 3 - 4 oktas
- BKN = 5 - <8 oktas
- OVC = 8 oktas
- VV = sky obscured
- CLR = no cloud below 25,000’ as reported from an AWOS
What is AWOS?
What word is used in a METAR to indicate an AWOS is observing the weather?
Are they as reliable as a human report?
Automated weather observation station
AUTO
No, some cannot detect cloud types and there may be snow or rain on camera.
How many clouds layers is an AWOS limited to?
It will report CLR if no layers are detected below a height of ____
4 layers
25,000 feet
What is a LWIS?
Where is it used?
How often is it issued?
What is included in the report?
Limited Weather Information
System
at aerodromes where installation of AWOS to provide METAR AUTO and SPECI AUTO reports cannot be justified BUT some information is required for IFR approaches.
Every hour only
> Wind speed and direction;
Temperature and Dew Point;
Altimeter Setting.
What is RVR?
Where is it located on the runway?
Runway visual range
the maximum horizontal distance, as measured by an automated visual landing distance system and reported by an ATC unit or an FSS for the direction of takeoff or landing, at which the runway, or the lights or markers delineating it, can be seen from a point above its centreline at a height corresponding to the average eye level of pilots at touchdown.
RVR is measured by a visibility sensor such as a RVR sensor located near the runway threshold.
How is visibility reported in a METAR?
Prevailing visibility near ground level
R25/2000FT/N
This RVR report indicates
the 10-minute average runway visual range is 2 000 feet and this value is not changing.
Two cloud layers exist. The first layer covers 2/8th of the sky from 2000 to 2500’ ASL. The second layer covers 3/8th of the sky from 5000 to 6000’ ASL.
These layers would be reported on a METAR with a field elevation of 1000’ ASL as:
FEW010 BKN040
