Weather Questions

Question 1

Describe the characteristics of stable air.

Answer 1

Stable air= stratus clouds, steady precipitation, smooth air, and poor visibility.

Question 2

Describe the characteristics of unstable air.

Answer 2

Unstable air=cumulus clouds, showery precipitation, rough air, and good visibility.

Question 3

Describe a few different types of fog.

Answer 3

Radiation fog-forms on a calm, cool, clear night when the ground cools the adjacent air to the dew point. Advection fog-forms when moist warm air is blown over a cool surface and is cooled to the dewpoint. Upslope fog-when moist warm air is forced up slope to cooler temperatures.

Question 4

What must happen for fog to form?

Answer 4

The air must be cooled to the dew point.

Question 5

When can you expect to see fog and why is it bad?

Answer 5

When the temperature and dew point are close. It reduces visibility.

Question 6

Describe different types of structural ice.

Answer 6

Rime-small drops of water freeze instantly, looks like sand paper.
Clear-large drops freeze slowly as they move back over the wing, it is the worst Mixed-both rime and clear
Frost-water vapor sublimates on the surfaces

Question 7

When can you expect to see ice and why is it bad?

Answer 7

When there is visible moisture and below freezing temperatures. It adds weight, drag, and reduces that make an airplane not fly).

Question 8

What should you do if you encounter ice?

Answer 8

Change heading and/or altitude to get out of the moisture or freezing temps or both.

Question 9

What is pressure altitude? When do you use it? How do you calculate it?

Answer 9

Pressure altitude is what you read when you set your altimeter to 29.92. You use it for performance charts and above 18,000’. Standard pressure - actual pressure x 1000 + field elevation = Pressure altitude

Question 10

What is density altitude?

Answer 10

Pressure altitude corrected for non-standard temperature.

Question 11

What does Pressure altitude corrected for non-standard temperature mean? - Density Altitude

Answer 11

The higher the density attitude is, the worse the airplane performs. If DA is 3000’ here at BUY, it means the airplane is performing like it is at 3000’ even though field elevation is about 600’. Higher DA means less lift, less horsepower, less climb rate, and more runway needed.

Question 12

What factors affect density altitude?

Answer 12

Higher temperature, Higher humidity, Higher field elevation, and Lower altimeter settings all make density altitude worse.

Question 13

Describe thunderstorms.

Answer 13

• The three ingredients are moisture, lifting action, and unstable air.
  -The stages are cumulus-building stage with mostly updrafts, mature stage- up and down drafts or rain, and the dissipating stage- mostly down drafts when the storm rains it self out.
  -T-storms always have lighting and can produce strong turbulence and hail.
  -Circumnavigate storms by 20 NM, never fly below or try to climb above storms.
  -If flying toward a line of T-storms it is best to land and wait for them to pass.

Question 14

What are the six types of NOTAMS?

Answer 14

(D) Distant- like VOR’s out of service, lights out of service or taxiways closed, runways closed.
(FDC) Flight Data Center-regulatory in nature, like airspace changes, IFR changes
Pointer - highlight or point out another NOTAM, such as an FDC or NOTAM (D) NOTAM Military- self explanatory
SAA-Special Activity Airspace
FICON-field condition

Question 15

What is a PIREP and when should you give one?

Answer 15

Pilot report, when you encounter un-forecast weather.

Question 16

What is a METAR?

Answer 16

Aviation routine weather report, a report of what is actually happening at the station.

Question 17

What is a TAF?

Answer 17

Terminal aerodrome forecast, valid for 24 hour period within 5 SM of the station.

Question 18

What is an Area Forecast?

Answer 18

A forecast that is general and covers several states.

Question 19

Be able to read Winds and Temps aloft, Weather Depiction, and Radar Summary charts.

Answer 19

Winds/Temps: 2325+07 means wind 230 at 25 with temp +7 C; 9900 means light and variable. Wx Depiction: Shaded areas are IFR, Contours are MVFR, other areas VFR. Radar Summary: Shaded areas are precip; R = rain, S = snow, T = T-storms, W = Showers, NE = no echo.

Question 20

What is an AIRMET?

Answer 20

Tango-Moderate turbulence or surface winds over 30 KTS
Zulu- Moderate icing
Sierra-Widespread IFR or mountain obscuration

Question 21

What is a SIGMET?

Answer 21

Severe turbulence
Severe icing
Dust, sand, or volcanic ash reducing visibility to less than 3 SM

Question 22

What is wake turbulence and how do you avoid it?

Answer 22

The vortices created by wing producing lift. Since wake turbulence is the worst when a plane is heavy, clean, and slow (take- off) never fly below or behind a large aircraft.

Question 23

What is a Convective SIGMET?

Answer 23

Severe T-storms due to 3⁄4” hail, 50 KT surface winds, or tornadoes Line of T-storms
Embedded T-storms
T-storms with heavy precipitation covering 40% or more of a 3000 square mile area

Question 24

What is ground effect?

Answer 24

An area of reduced drag within one wingspan of the surface. An aircraft may be able to fly in ground effect but not out of it (like a soft field take off).