Weather Products

Question 1

Visual Flight Rules

VFR

Answer 1

Ceiling greater than 3,000 feet and

Visibilities greater than 5SM

Question 2

Instrument Flight Rules

IFR

Answer 2

Ceiling of 500 to less than 1,000 feet and

Visibilities of 1 to 3SM

Question 3

Marginal VFR

Answer 3

Ceiling between 1,000 to 3,000 feet and

Visibilities anywhere from 3 to 5SM

Question 4

1800-WX Briefer

Answer 4

Identify yourself as a pilot
VFR or IFR
Aircraft ident and type
Your name
Departure: route and final destination 
Altitude
Departure time
Time enroute 
ETA

Question 5

How many types of weather briefing?

Answer 5

• Outlook briefing
• Standard briefing
• Abbreviated briefing

Question 6

Outlook briefing

Answer 6

Six or more hours advance of your proposed departure time

Question 7

Standard briefing

Answer 7

• Complete weather history for the briefing flight

- Provides conditions at departure enroute and arrival

Question 8

Abbreviated briefing

Answer 8

Used to update a previous briefing, or to supplement or add to information you already have

Question 9

What is ceiling?

Answer 9

The height above the earths surface of the lowest layer of clouds or obscuring phenomena such as fog or haze

Question 10

METAR

Answer 10

• Weather OBSERVATION
• Routinely
• Only towering cumulus (TC) and cumulonimbus (CB) reported
• Temperature and dew point spread less than 5 degrees possible fog
• 1C = 1.8F

Question 11

Types of precipitation

Answer 11

• RA: rain
• DZ: drizzle
• SN: snow
• SG: snow grains
• GR: hail > 1/4 inch
• GS: small hail pellets
• PE: ice pellets
• IC: ice crystals
• BC: patches
• FZ: freezing
• SH: showers
• TS: thunderstorms

Question 12

Obstructions to visibility

Answer 12

• FG: fog (vsby <5/8mile)
• BR: mist (vsby 5/8 - 6 mile)
• FU: smoke
• HZ: haze
• PY: spray
• SA: sand
• DU: dust
• VA: volcanic ash

Question 13

VV008 or VV///

Answer 13

VV008 = indefinite ceiling with vertical visibility indefinite at 800 feet
VV/// = indefinite ceiling with vertical visibility undetermined

Question 14

What letter K in front of airport means?

Answer 14

• K represents lower 48 continuous states
• PA: Alaska
• PH: Hawaii

Question 15

Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF)

Answer 15

• Valid 24hours
• Scheduled at 0000Z, 0600Z, 1200Z, 1800Z
• Routine forecast
• Can be amended

Question 16

3 different types of TAF

Answer 16

• TAF Amd (amended)
• TAF Cor (corrected)
• TAF RTD (delayed)

Question 17

TAF time periods

Answer 17

• Tempo 1316 = temporary conditions 1300Z to 1600Z
• FM 1600 = from 1600Z
• BECMG 2224 = becoming 2200Z to 2400Z
• PROB40 0608 = probability 40% from 066Z to 0800Z

Question 18

PIREPs

Answer 18

Weather OBSERVATION reports by pilots

Question 19

A list of abbreviation in PIREPs

Answer 19

• UA = routine report
• OV = location
• TM = time UTC
• FL = flight level
• TP = aircraft type
• SK = sky cover
• WX = Weather, vsby, clouds
• TA = temperature
• WV = wind
• TB = turbulence
• IC = icing

Question 20

Wind aloft report

Direction, velocity, temperature

Answer 20

• No wind forecast <1,500 of surface
• No temperature <2,500 feet of surface
• Expressed in true North and knots
• Temperature is negative > 24,000

Question 21

Wind aloft 9900?

Answer 21

• Wind less than 5knots

- Light and variable

Question 22

Decode the following:
FL390
731960

Answer 22

• Direction = 73 - 50 = 230 true North
• Velocity = 100 + 19 = 119knots
• Temperature = -60

Question 23

Weather Depiction Charts

Answer 23

Based on information from METAR

Question 24

3 different types of weather depictions

Answer 24

• No contour (VFR)
• Contoured without shading (MVFR)
• Shading area (IFR)

Question 25

5 different types of sky coverage

Answer 25

1) Clear 2) Scattered 3) Broken 4) Overcast 5) Obscurred

Question 26

6 different types of fronts

Answer 26

1) Cold front 3) Warm front 4) Occluded front 5) Upper level of cold front 6) Lower level of warm front 7) Stationary front

Question 27

In-flight WX Advisories

Answer 27

1) Airmet 2) Sigmet 3) Convective Sigmet

Question 28

AIRMETs (smaller aircraft)

Answer 28

- moderate icing - moderating turbulence - surface wind of 30knots or more - ceiling less than 1,000 - visibility less than 3SM - mountain obscurement

Question 29

SIGMETs (all aircraft)

Answer 29

- all pilots, all aircraft - severe icing (NO THUNDERSTORM) - severe or clear air turbulence - dust storm or volcanic eruption reduce vsby <3SM

Question 30

CONVECTIVE SIGMETs

Answer 30

- tornadoes - thunderstorm - wind > 50knots - hail (GR) > 3/4inch

Question 31

Significant WX Prognostic Chart

Answer 31

- 12hr and 24hr after issuance - Top panel: VFR, MVFR, IFR, Turbulence Bottom panel: fronts, pressure system, precipitation

Question 32

Radar Summary Chart | Precipitation

Answer 32

- shading - Echo area - contours at intensities 1, 3, 5 - Tops____ Base ———- in 100 ft - Prefix A - aircraft report top - MVMT - - Area and Lines - - Pennants - MVMT - - Cells - - Arrows - Precipitation (+) new, incrg (-) dcrg

Question 33

Transcribed WX Broadcast (TWEB)

Answer 33

- Transmitted continuously over certain VORs and NDBs - Usually includes route oriented information with specially prepared National Weather Service Forecast, In-flight Advisories, Wind Aloft, NOTAMs, and other special notices

Question 34

Hazardous in-flight weather advisories | HIWAS

Answer 34

- available to pilots over select navaids - listed on aeronautical charts with the letter H in the blue nav box - transmit information on SIGMETs, AIRMETs, and Convective SIGMETs

Question 35

Enroute Flight Advisory Service | Flight Watch

Answer 35

- call on frequency 122.0 when flying b/w 5,000 and 18,000 AGL - provide weather advisories pertinent to your route of flight, altitude and type of aircraft you are flying