Aviation > Weather > Flashcards

Weather Flashcards

(74 cards)

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1
Q

Low-level turbulence can occur and icing can become hazardous in which type of fog?

A

Steam fog.
`
Steam fog forms in winter when cold, dry air passes over comparatively warm water. The result is low level turbulence and icing.

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2
Q

The Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF) is:

A

Specific to an airport.
A TAF is a report established for the five statute mile radius around an airport.

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3
Q

Cold front shape on charts

A

pointed barbs

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4
Q

warm front shape on charts

A

rounded barbs

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5
Q

Upon encountering severe turbulence, which flight condition should the pilot attempt to maintain?

A

Level flight attitude.

Maintain a constant attitude, let the aircraft “ride the waves”.

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6
Q

What information is contained in a CONVECTIVE SIGMET?

A

Tornadoes, embedded thunderstorms, and hail 3/4 inch or greater in diameter.

A Convective SIGMET contains data regarding severe thunderstorms including, tornadoes, and large hail, ¾” or more in diameter. Embedded thunderstorms are also forecast on Convective SIGMETs.

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7
Q

Which weather conditions should be expected beneath a low-level temperature inversion layer when the relative humidity is high?

A

Smooth air, poor visibility, fog, haze, or low clouds.

A ground based inversion favors poor visibility by trapping fog, smoke, and other restrictions into low levels of the atmosphere. An inversion is a stable air mass and would have smooth air.

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8
Q

Minimum practical visibility VFR

A

3 miles

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9
Q

VFR minimum ceiling hieght

A

1000 feet AGL

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10
Q

Types of clouds (general)

A

layered (stratus)

cumulus

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11
Q

Smooth or bumpy flight expected with layered (stratus) clouds

A

smooth

stable atmospheric conditions

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12
Q

Visibility with layered (stratus) clouds

A

Fair - poor

fog is a type of layered cloud

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13
Q

Cumulus clouds are associated with

A

unstable air with vertical development

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14
Q

Cumulus cloud flight is (bumpy/smooth) and visibility is:

A

bumpy flight with high visibility

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15
Q

Troposhere extends to (height in feet)

A

40,000 feet

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16
Q

What is a temperature inversion

A

Temperature increases with altitude (usually decreases with altitude)

Stable layer of atmosphere

poor visibility

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17
Q

Why poor visibility in inversions

A

Pollutants trapped lower - less vertical air movement

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18
Q

Relative humidity

A

Ratio of current water vapor to the max possible at that temp and pressure

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19
Q

Dew point

A

Temperature at which air becomes saturated (100% relative humidity)

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20
Q

Describe radiation fog

A

-Forms on clear nights over flat land
-Caused by ground cooling the air to the dew point
-Light winds deepen fog
-usually dissipates by noon
-rarely over water bodies

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21
Q

Describe advection fog

A

-When warm, moist air moves over a colder surface
-common along coasts and large lakes
-Can occur day or night
- Light to moderate winds deepen fog

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22
Q

Describe upslope fog

A

-Formed by moist, stable air being forced uphill
-Common on eastern slopes of mountains
-Dense and persists until upslope wind ceases

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23
Q

Describe precipitation-induced fog

A

-Caused by evaporation or drizzle
-occurs with frontal activities and non-frontal precipitation
-can form rapidly over large areas and persist

Precipitation-induced fog, also called frontal fog, forms when warm rain falls through cooler, drier air. As the rain evaporates into the colder air, it increases the air’s moisture content until it reaches (100\%) humidity, causing the water vapor to condense into fog

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24
Q

Conditions favorable for fog formation

A

-Small temperature-dew point spread
-calm or light winds
-Precipitation adding moisture to the air
-Abundance of condensation nuclei
-Cooling processes

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25
Flying from high to low pressure without adjusting altimeter casues actual altitude to be ___ than indicated
lower High to low look out below
26
Flying from low to high pressure without adjustment results in an actual altitude ___ than indicated
higher
27
Flying from warm to cold temps without altimeter correction results in actual altitude ___ than indicated
lower Hot to cold, look out below
28
Flying from cold to warm temps without altimeter adjustment results in actual altitude ___ than indicated
Higher cold to hot, look to the sky
29
METARs update
hourly 5-10 minutes before top of hour
30
SPECI reports are issued
if conditions change significantly before next METAR update
31
What is a Terminal Aerodrome Forecast
TAF coded, text-based weather forecast for specific airports
32
Time period for TAFs
24-30 hours
33
Three conditions required for thunderstorms to form
1. Unstable air 2. high moisture content 3. source of lift
34
3 stages of thunderstorms
1. Cumulus 2. Mature 3. Dissipating
35
Hazards of thunderstorms
Turbulence, Downdrafts, Hail, low ceilings and visibility, lightning, altimeter errors
36
Standard preflight briefing
Most complete briefing, used when you have not received prior information
37
Abbreviated briefing
Used to update briefings or when you need specific information
38
Outlook briefing
Requested when your planned flight is six hours or more in the future
39
AIRMETS are issued for (5)
1. IFR conditions 2. Widespread mountain obscuration 3. Moderate icing and freezing levels 4. Moderate turbulence 5. Potential non-convective low-levle wind shear below 2000 AGL
40
SIGMETS cover hazards such as (4)
1. Severe or greater turbulence 2. Severe icing 3. Widespread dust storms or sandstorms 4. Volcanic ash
41
How long are SIGMETs valid
4 hours
42
How long are AIRMETs valid
3 hours
43
Convective SIGMETs are issued how often during an event
every hour
44
Convective SIGMETs are issued for (3)
1. Tornadoes 2. Thunderstorms with surface winds of 50 knots or more 3. Hail 3/4 inch in diameter or larger
45
How to get height of cloud base given temperature and dew point?
(temp-dewpoint)/lapse rate) x 1000 lapse rate celsius 2.5 lapse rate fahrenheit 4.4
46
What is a microburst
Downdraft of air within a thunderstorm (can exceed 100-150mph) Can significantly damage aircraft Development of a thunderstorm (updrafts) holds water and hail - when updraft weakens the core of the thunderstorm falls and spreads out as wind and rain (can also be dry) Meteorologists look for air converging within the mid levels of the thunderstorm. Difficult to detect and may not have a warning
47
Three types of ice
Clear, Rime, Mixed
48
Possible mountain wave turbulence could be anticipated when winds of 40 kts or greater blow:
Across a mountain ridge and the winds are stable creates a turbulent air mass with a wave length pattern that may extend 100 miles or more downwind from the mountain.
49
AIRMET types
Sierra - Mountain obscuration, IFR conditions Zulu - icing Tango - turbulence
50
Sierra AIRMET
Mountain obscuration IFR condtions
51
Zulu AIRMET
Icing
52
Tango AIRMET
Turbulence
53
What is the lowest freezing level
The lowest altitude where ice is formed high in summer low in winter
54
ASOS stands for
Automated Surface Observing System
55
AWOS stands for
Automated Weather Observing System
56
How to find pressure altitude with current altimeter setting
(29.92 - ____) x 1000 (+ field elevation)
57
Weather associated with a temperature inversion
Calm and stable weather Fog and mist and frost due to cooler and lower air Vertical air movement is suppressed
58
Winds associated with temperature inversion
Inversions are likely to from in calm or light winds Wind shear may be present at the inversion layer
59
What is a dry microburst
Localized downdraft from a thunderstorm with little to no precipitation reaching the ground Rain evaporates but the downdraft is still present
60
How fast does air descend in a microburst
up to 6000 feet per minute
61
What to do if caught in microburst
Full power and pitch up to stop descent maintain climb attitude
62
You’re flying toward an approaching warm front. Describe the sequence of clouds and weather you’d expect as you near and pass the front, and how you’d manage a VFR flight in that environment.
“Ahead of a warm front, warm, moist air slides over cooler air, producing a gradual transition of cloud layers. From farthest out to the front, I’d expect cirrus, then cirrostratus, altostratus, and finally nimbostratus near the front — often with light continuous rain and decreasing ceilings. Winds typically shift from easterly to southerly as it passes. For a VFR flight, I’d expect deteriorating visibility and lowering ceilings well ahead of the surface front, so I’d plan to divert or delay before those conditions move in.”
63
Weather information Acronyms
WRAMPS WPACT
64
WRAMPS
Weather depiction Radar summary ATIS/ASOS/AWOS METAR PIREPs Surface Analysis
65
WPACT
Winds and Temp aloft Prognostic Charts Area Forecast Convective outlook TAF
66
Weather depiction is issued
Every three hours
67
Radar summary is issued
Every hour
68
ATIS/ASOS/AWOS is issued
hourly
69
METAR is ussed
Hourly
70
PIREPS are issued
as needed
71
Surface analysis are issued how often and what are they?
every three hours shows the current position of fronts, and their direction of movement can be inferred, but it is not a forecast.
72
Winds and temp aloft are issued
2 per day
73
Prognostic charts are issued
4 times per day
74
What is the Graphical Area Forecast
The Graphical Forecast for Aviation (GFA) provides a regional forecast of weather conditions including cloud coverage and ceilings, precipitation, visibility, winds, icing, and turbulence. It is updated every 6 hours and amended as needed
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