Weather services

Question 1

How would one reach EFAS?

Answer 1

By tuning into 122.0 MHz

Question 2

Where does one find HIWAS?

Answer 2

Look for the “H” on a sectional chart and tune into the frequency indicated

Question 3

What four types of information can be contained within an HIWAS?

Answer 3

AIRMETS, SIGMETS, convective SIGMETS, and urgent PIREPs

Question 4

What is a standard briefing?

Answer 4

A standard briefing is the most complete report and provides the overall weather picture. This type of briefing should be obtained prior to the departure of any flight and should be used during flight planning.

Question 5

What are the three types of weather briefings that you can request?

Answer 5

Standard, abbreviated, or outlook

Question 6

What is an abbreviated briefing?

Answer 6

An abbreviated briefing is a shortened version of the standard briefing. It should be requested when a departure has been delayed or when weather information is needed to update the previous briefing. When this is the case, the weather specialist needs to know the time and source of the previous briefing so the necessary weather information will not be omitted inadvertently. It is always a good idea to update weather whenever a pilot has additional time

Question 7

What is an outlook briefing?

Answer 7

An outlook briefing should be requested when a planned departure is 6 hours or more away. It provides initial forecast information that is limited in scope due to the timeframe of the planned flight. This type of briefing is a good source of flight planning information that can influence decisions regarding route of flight, altitude, and ultimately the go/no-go decision.

Question 8

What are three types of aviation weather reports?

Answer 8

METAR, PIREPs, and radar weather reports (SDs).

Question 9

What are the following abbreviation in a PIREP: /RM, /TA, /TB, /OV, /TP, /TM, /WX, /SK, /WV, /IC, /FL

Answer 9

Remark, temperature, turbulence, location, aircraft type, time, flight visibility and weather, sky cover, wind, icing, altitude

Question 10

What are RAREPs?

Answer 10

Radar weather reports

Question 11

What are SD?

Answer 11

Storm detections, same as RAREP

Question 12

What different clouds are reported in TAF vs METAR

Answer 12

TAFs include only cumulonimbus (CB) where METAR reports CB or towering CB

Question 13

What is difference between BECMG and TEMPO

Answer 13

“BECMG” is used when a gradual change in the weather is expected over a period of no more than 2 hours. “TEMPO” is used for temporary fluctuations of weather, expected to last less than one hour

Question 14

How often are TAFs updated? How often are METARs updated?

Answer 14

Four times per day, at 0, 0600, 1200, 1800 Z for TAF; METARs are hourly, unless a special (SPECI) METAR becomes necessary

Question 15

FA

Answer 15

Aviation area forecast: The FA gives a picture of clouds, general weather conditions, and visual meteorological conditions (VMC) expected over a large area encompassing several states. There are six areas for which area forecasts are published in the contiguous 48 states. Area forecasts are issued three times a day and are valid for 18 hours. This type of forecast gives information vital to en route operations, as well as forecast information for smaller airports that do not have terminal forecasts

Question 16

What are the four sections of an FA?

Answer 16

Header, precautionary statements, weather SYNOPSIS, and VFR CLOUDS/WX section

Question 17

What is a TAF?

Answer 17

Concise statement of the expected meteorological conditions at an airport during a specified period (usually 24 hours)

Question 18

The full name for a METAR is a _________

Answer 18

Aviation routine weather report.

Question 19

FB

Answer 19

Winds and temperature aloft forecast.

Question 20

Are temperature aloft wind directions true or magnetic?

Answer 20

True

Question 21

How are the following handled in an FB? (1) Wind speed greater than 100; (2) Wind speed less than 5 kts; (3) Temperature above FL270

Answer 21

(1) 50 is added to direction, meaning you need to add 100 to reported wind speed; (2) FB will be 9900 followed by temperature; (3) All temperatures are assumed to be negative

Question 22

How often is FB updated?

Answer 22

Twice per day

Question 23

Is FB true altitude or pressure altitude?

Answer 23

True up to 12,000, then pressure above

Question 24

Weather depiction chart is ……

Answer 24

The charts that display IFR, MVFR, VFR conditions with information about ceilings, visibility, types of weather, and ceiling height

Question 25

Radar weather reports detect ______ but not _______

Answer 25

drops or ice particles of precipitation size, but not clouds or fog

Question 26

Radar weather reports are the only report that show ____

Answer 26

lines and cells of hazardous thunderstorms

Question 27

In a low-level significant weather prognostic chart, MVFR is defined as:

Answer 27

Ceilings 1000-3000, and 3-5 SM visibility

Question 28

Low level significant weather prognostic charts are for weather at which altitudes?

Answer 28

24,000 MSL and below

Question 29

What is the difference between an AIRMET and a SIGMET?

Answer 29

AIRMETs are of interest to small aircraft, SIGMETs are of interest to everyone

Question 30

AIRMETs contain information about which four things?

Answer 30

moderate icing or turbulence, sustained winds >30 kts, widespread areas of IFR, extensive mountain obscurement

Question 31

Convective SIGMETs contain information about;

Answer 31

tornadoes, lines of thunderstorms, low-level wind sheer, severe turbulence;

Question 32

SIGMETs and AIRMETs are released every:

Answer 32

30 minutes, at 15 and 45 past the hour.

Question 33

Convective SIGMETs are released every;

Answer 33

hourly at 55 minutes after the hour, but can have unscheduled ones at 15, 30, or 45 after.

Question 34

WA, WS, WST

Answer 34

AIRMET, SIGMET, convective SIGMET

Question 35

What are the three inflight weather advisories?

Answer 35

AIRMET, SIGMET, convective SIGMET

Question 36

What are the six things to do when calling for a telephone weather briefing?

Answer 36

1) ID yourself as a pilot; 2) State whether you are flying VFR or IFR; 3) State intended route, destination, and type of aircraft; 4) Get standard briefing to get complete information; 5) Request abbreviated when only 1 or 2 items needed; 6) Request outlook briefing when proposed departure time is 6 or more hours away.

Question 37

What are the specific AIRMETs for icing/freezing level, turbulence/strong winds/windshear, and IFR conditions/mountain obscuration?

Answer 37

Zulu, Tango, Sierra