Weather Information

Question 1

What types of weather information will you examine to determine if microburst/windshear conditions might affect your flight? (AC 00-54)

Answer 1

• TAFs
• METARs
• LLWAS reports-
• Low Level Windshear Alert System
• TDWR-Terminal Doppler Weather Radar, deployed at 45 airports across the United States;
• SIGMETs
• convective SIGMETs
• Visual clues from the cockpit
• PIREPs
• Airborne weather radar - to detect convective cells

Question 2

Define wind shear and state the areas in which it is likely to occur. (AC 00-54)

Answer 2

• Wind shear is the rate of change of wind velocity (direction and/ or speed)
• occur at any level in the atmosphere but three areas are of special concern:
  
  • L:ow-level temperature inversion;
  • Frontal zone or thunderstorm
  • Clear air turbulence (CAT) at high levels associated with a jet stream or strong circulation.

Question 3

Why is wind shear an operational concern to pilots? (AC 00-6)

Answer 3

• unexpected changes in wind speed and direction can be potentially very hazardous to aircraft operations at low altitudes on approach to and departing from airports.

Question 4

What airplane characteristics will be observed in the following wind shear situations?

• a sudden increase in headwind.
• a sudden decrease in headwind.

Answer 4

As a tailwind shears to a constant headwind:

• an increase in airspeed and altitude occurs along with a nose-up pitching tendency.
• The usual reaction is to reduce both power and pitch. This reaction can be dangerous if the aircraft suddenly encounters a downdraft and tailwind. Now the situation demands the exact opposite of the pilot’s initial reaction: a need for more performance from the airplane instead of less (more power/ increased pitch attitude).

Decreased headwind:

• As a headwind shears to a calm or tailwind, pitch attitude decreases, airspeed decreases, and a loss of altitude occurs.
• The required action is more power and higher pitch attitude to continue a climb or remain on the glide slope

Question 5

Concerning wind shear detection, what does the abbreviation LLWAS indicate? (AIM 4-3-7)

Answer 5

• computerized system that detects the presence of a possible hazardous low-level wind shear by continuously comparing the winds measured by sensors installed around the periphery of an airport with the wind measured at the center of the airport.

Question 6

Additional Study Questions 1. When the ceiling/sky, ·visibility, and obstructions to vision are omitted in the ATIS; what condition is indicated? (AIM 4-1-13) 2. While performing a preflight inspection on your aircraft for an early-morning departure, you notice frost has formed on the top of both wings. How will this affect the airplane on departure? (FAA-H-8083-25) 3. Can ATC assist you in avoiding clouds along your route of flight? (AIM 7-1-13) 4. Define the acronyms 1FR, MVFR, and VFR. (AC 00-45) 5. Define the term “ceiling.” (AC 00-45) 6. From which primary source should information be obtained regarding expected weather at the ETA if your destination has no TAF? (AC 00-45) 7. If the temperature is + 16° Centigrade at an elevation of 1,600 feet and a standard (average) temperature lapse rate exists, what will the approximate freezing level be? (AC 00-6) 8. What are the three stages of thunderstorm development? (AC 00-6) 9. Are the wind directions provided on weather charts referenced to magnetic or true north? Explain how you would convert. (AC 00-45) 10. What information will you provide when giving a wind shear report? (AIM 7-1-23)

Answer 6

x

Question 7

(D) NOTAMS

Answer 7

a . (D) NOTAMs - Information that requires wide dissemination via telecommunication and pertains to en route navigational aids, civil public-use airports listed in the AFD, facilities, services, and procedures.

Question 8

FDC NOTAMs

Answer 8

b. FDC NOTAMs - Flight information that is regulatory in nature including, but not limited to, changes to IFR charts, procedures, and airspace usage .

Question 9

Pointer NOTAMs

Answer 9

c. POINTER NOTAMs - Issued by a flight service station to highlight or point out another NOTAM; such as an FDC NOTAM.

Question 10

Military NOTAMs

Answer 10

d. MILITARY NOTAMs - Pertain to U.S. Air Force, Army, Marine, and Navy navigational aids/airports that are part of the NAS.

Question 11

SAA NOTAMs

Answer 11

e . SAA NOTAMs - Issued when Special Activity Airspace will be active outside the published schedule times and when required by the published schedule.

Question 12

FICON NOTAMs. (AIM 5-1-3)

Answer 12

f. FICON NOTAMs - field condition NOTAM; provide contaminant measurements for paved runways.