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Weather Flashcards

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1
Q

What service does the FAA provide for pilots to obtain weather briefings?

A

one eight hundred W X brief .com

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2
Q

What types of weather briefings are available from an FSS briefer

A

Standard briefing
Abbreviated briefing
Outlook briefing 

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3
Q

What is a Mitar and what are the two types?

A

Hourly surface observation of conditions at an airport

METARs are every hour
SPECIs given at any time

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4
Q

What are PIREPS?

A

 report made by a pilot in flight about actual weather conditions they are experiencing

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5
Q

What are the two types of PIREPS?

A

Routine: UA
Urgent: UAA

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6
Q

Where do you report a PIREP?

A

Directly to ATC, flight service station

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7
Q

What is a TAF?

A

Terminal aerodrome forecast

A forecast of weather conditions expected at an airport within about five statute miles 

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8
Q

What is a convective SIGMET? 

A

A weather advisory for thunderstorms

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9
Q

When are convective sigmets issued and how long are they valid?

A

Issued hourly at 55 minutes after the hour

Valid for two hours

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10
Q

What is a sigmet?

A

 a weather advisory that warns pilots about serious, non-convective weather hazards

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11
Q

What are some things that SIGMETS warn you about?

A

Severe turbulence
Severe icing
Dust storms

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12
Q

When are SIGMETS issued and how long are they valid?

A

Issued as needed, not on a fixed schedule

Valid for up to four hours

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13
Q

What does SIGMET STAND FOR?

A

Significant meteorological information

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14
Q

What does METAR stand for?

A

Meteorological aerodrome report

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15
Q

What is an AIRMET?

A

 a warning to pilots about widespread weather that could be dangerous to small aircraft. Less intense than a SIGMET

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16
Q

What are the three main types of AIRMETS?

A

AIRMET sierra - IFR/Mountain obscuration

AIRMET tango – turbulence

AIRMET Zulu – icing 

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17
Q

When are AIRMETs issued?

A

Every six hours 

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18
Q

What does AIRMET stand for?

A

Airman’s meteorological information

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19
Q

What is a winds and temperature aloft forecast?

A

A forecast of wind direction, wind, speed, and temperature at various altitudes above a location

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20
Q

Most of earths weather occurs in what region of the atmosphere

A

 troposphere, from the surface to 36,000 feet 

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21
Q

What are wind shears

A

Sudden, drastic change in wind speed or direction

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22
Q

The amount of moisture in the air is dependent on what factor

A

Temperature of the air

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23
Q

What is LIFR

A

Low instrument flight rules

Ceiling is less than 500 feet and/or visibility less than 1 mile

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24
Q

What is IFR?

A

Instrument flight rules

Ceiling 500 to less than 1000 feet and/or visibility 1 to 3 miles

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25
What is MVFR?
Marginal, visual flight rules Ceiling 1000 to 3000 feet and or visibility 3 to 5 miles inclusive
26
What is VFR?
Visual flight rules Ceiling greater than 3000 feet in visibility greater than 5 miles
27
Describe the composition of the earths atmosphere
Consist of numerous gases with nitrogen oxygen argon and carbon dioxide making up 99.998% of of all gases
28
What is the standard temperature lapse rate?
Decreases at the rate of 2°C per 1000 feet up to 36,000 feet
29
From 36,000 feet to 80,000 feet what is the temperature considered?
Constant
30
What is the standard pressure lapse rate?
Pressure decreases at a rate of 1 inch of mercury (inHG) every 1000 feet of altitude gain to 10,000 feet
31
What happens in stable atmospheres
Smoother ride/less turbulence Stratus clouds, fog No thunderstorm Light, widespread rain Traps Haze, Poor visibility
32
What happens in unstable atmospheres?
More vertical motion, turbulence Big clouds, cumulus Thunderstorms Sudden, heavy showers Better visibility
33
How can you determine the stability of the atmosphere
If the temperature decreases rapidly as you climb, the air is unstable If the temperature remains unchanged or slightly decreases, the air tends to be stable
34
When air near the surface is warm and moist what is the stability like?
Unstable
35
What causes the wind?
 air moving from high pressure to low pressure
36
What are the three forces that affect the wind?
Pressure gradient force Coriolis effect Friction 
37
What is pressure gradient force?
The force created by differences in air pressure
38
What is the Coriolis effect?
The deflection of the wind caused by the rotation of the Earth To the right in the northern hemisphere To the left in the southern hemisphere
39
What is friction?
The slowing down of wind caused by the earths surface
40
What do isobars represent?
They connect areas of equal air pressure 
41
What does it mean when isobars are close together on a surface weather chart
High wind speeds
42
What are several examples of local winds that may affect an aircraft
Seabreeze Lake breeze Mountain breeze
43
What are wind-shears?
A sharp change in wind, speed, or direction over a short distance
44
The amount of moisture in the air is dependent on what factor
Temperature Every 20°F increase in temperature levels the amount of moisture the air can hold
45
46
What is relative humidity?
The percentage of moisture in the air compared to how much moisture the air could hold
47
What is dewpoint?
the temperature at which water vapor in the air turns into liquid water
48
What are the three ingredients necessary for precipitation to form?
 moisture Lifting air Cloud droplets to grow large
49
How do high-pressure systems flow in the northern hemisphere?
Outward Downward Clockwise
50
How do low pressure systems flow in the northern hemisphere?
Inward Upward Counterclockwise
51
What kind of weather can you expect in a low pressure system?
Low pressure means rising air, which is conducive to cloudiness, precipitation, and bad weather
52
What kind of weather can you expect in a high-pressure system?
 little to no clouds Good weather
53
What is a cold front?
A cold air mass that is moving in and replacing a warmer air mass
54
What is a warm front?
 the area where a warm air mass flows over a colder air mass
55
What is a stationary front?
 an area where a warm air and cold air meat, but neither air mass is advancing
56
What is an occluded front? 
It’s when a fast moving cold front catches up with a slow moving warm front
57
What weather would you encounter in a cold front?
Cumulus clouds Heavy rain with lightning Poor visibility Gusting Air pressure dropping
58
What weather would you encounter in a warm front?
Stratiform clouds Drizzle Low ceilings Poor visibility Rise in temperature
59
What is a trough? 
An elongated area of low air pressure. The air is rising, which is conducive to cloudiness and precipitation.
60
What is a ridge?
An elongated area of relatively high air pressure The years descending, which means clouds are dissipating
61
What does a cloud consist of and why do they form?
They are made of tiny water, droplets and ice particles so small and light that they stay suspended in the air
62
What factor determines the type in vertical extent of clouds
The stability of the atmosphere
63
What are cirriform clouds?
High-level clouds that form above 20,000 feet Thin and white in appearance
64
What are Nimbo form clouds?
Formed between 7000 and 15,000 feet Bring steady precipitation Cloud base lowers toward the ground as precipitation begins
65
What are cumuliform clouds?
Puffy clouds that form because of rising air Grow vertically Cloud base depends on the humidity of the rising air 
66
What are stratiform clouds?
Featureless lower layer that can cover the entire sky Cloud bases are usually only a few hundred feet above the ground
67
What are the three primary causes of turbulence?
Convective currents Wind flow obstructions Windshear
68
What are the four intensity levels of turbulence?
Light Moderate Severe Extreme
69
Define the term clear air turbulence
Turbulence that occurs in clear air with no clouds often near the jetstream Pirep
70
What are the factors necessary for a thunderstorm to form?
Moisture (sufficient water vapor) Unstable air Initial lifting boost
71
What are the three stages of thunderstorm development?
Cumulus - strong updraft Mature - precipitation starts to fall updrafts and downdrafts Dissipating - downdrafts 
72
What are the three principal types of thunderstorms?
Single cell Multi cell Supercell 
73
What are single cell thunderstorms? 
Small, isolated storm, lasting less than an hour and not severe
74
What are multi cell thunderstorms? 
Group of storm cells, each developing maturing and dissipating in sequence, allowing the storm cluster to persist for a long time
75
What are supercell thunderstorms? 
Most powerful storm with a deep rotating updraft that can reach speeds of 100 knots Last for many hours
76
What are microburst?
Intense downdraft that spreads outward upon reaching the surface causing severe wind shears
77
Where are microburst most likely to occur?
Anywhere there is convective activity
78
What are the main types of icing an aircraft may counter?
Structural Induction system Instrument icing
79
Name the three types of structural ice that may occur in flight
Clear icing Rime icing Mixed icing
80
What is rime icing
Milky, opaque Forms in small, super cool droplets  Forms at less than -15°C Disrupts airflow and causes loss of lift
81
What is clear icing?
Glossy, transparent Forms in large, super cooled droplets Forms at greater than -10°C Can freeze over control surfaces
82
What is mixed icing?
Opaque in places, clear in others Forms in mix of small and large droplets Typically between -10°C to -15°C Build up quickly, disrupts airflow
83
What is the definition of the term freezing level?
The lowest altitude in the atmosphere at which the air temperature reaches 0°C
84
What action is recommended if you inadvertently encounter icing conditions
 go to an altitude where the temperature is above freezing Leave the area of precipitation
85
What is the temperature inversion and what are its consequences?
Temperature increases with altitude, causing very stable conditions with poor visibility
86
How does fog form?
When the temperature and dewpoint become identical
87
What are the types of fog?
Radiation fog Advection fog Upslope fog Frontal fog Steam fog Freezing fog
88
 radiation fog
Forms at night with clear skies and light winds
89
Advection fog
Forms when moist air moves over colder ground or water Common along coast Can form day or night 
90
Upslope fog
Forms when moist air is forced up to rain Areas with hills/mountains
91
Frontal fog
 Forms when warm rain falls into colder air and evaporates Often along warm fronts
92
Steam fog
Forms when cold air moves over warm water
93
Freezing fog
Forms when temperature falls to 0°C or below
94
What is frost and what conditions would be conducive to its formation
It is ice that forms when the temperature of a surface is below, freezing and water vapor in the air deposits directly onto it
95
Is frost considered to be hazardous to flight
Yes, it creates a rough sandpaper like surface that disrupts airflow over airfoils
96
Define the term ceiling
The height of the lowest cloud layer that is reported as broken or overcast
97
How long are TAFs valid for?
24 to 30 hours
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