Weather Review Flashcards
Weather Topics for the Charter Pilot (227 cards)
Fill in the blank:
An abrupt change in wind speed or direction is a ______.
Wind Shear
What are the seven (7) characteristics of Microbursts?
- Wind intensify for about 5 minutes after ground contact
- Dissipates from 10-20 minutes after ground contact
- Spreads in all directions after ground contact in a violent horizontal vortex
- Can occur in both wet and dry atmospheres
- Can occur in families (there maybe more than one)
- Can have a horizontal wind speed difference of 50 - 100 kts
- Can have vertical speeds in excess of 3,000 fpm
What are the three (3) Windshear Recover steps?
- Max power
- Pitch up to stick shaker/stall warning (max performance)
- Do not change configurations
Ice can be found in what two conditions?
- Visible moisture
- +50 to -200C
* Usually +2 to -100C
Geographically, the worst icing conditions can be found where?
- Downwind of mountainous terrain
- Adiabatic cooling created lifting action
- Downwind of the Great Lakes region
- Large amounts of moisture
What is the FAA definition of “Known Icing Conditions”?
Atmospheric conditions in which the formation of ice is observed or detected in flight.
What is the FAA definition of “Forecast Icing Conditions”?
Environmental conditions expected by a National Weather Service or an FAA-approved weather provider to be conducive to the formation of inflight icing on aircraft.
What are six (6) Rime Ice characteristics?
- Small supercooled water droplets that freeze on contact
- Most common form of ice
- Milky or opaque in appearance (air bubbles)
- Often found in Stratus clouds and smooth air
- Relatively brittle
- Usually limited to a 3,000’ vertical area
What are characteristics of Clear Ice?
- A collection of large, close to freezing water droplets that will flow back on the wing before freezing
- Clear, hard, glossy, heavy and very difficult to remove
What does Freezing Rain indicate?
Warmer temperatures above.
Therefore, climb if able to warmer temperatures.
What do Ice Pellets indicate?
Freeing rain at higher altitudes.
Define:
Trace Ice
Barely perceptible, rate of accumulation is slightly greater than sublimation.
Define:
Light Ice
May be a problem if the flight is prolonged (over 1 hour), occasional use of deice/anti-ice removes accumulation.
Does not present a problem if deice/anti-ice equipment is used.
Define:
Moderate Ice
Short encounters become potentially hazardous, use of deice/anti-ice or flight diversion is necessary.
Define:
Severe Ice
The rate of accumulation is such that deice/anti-ice equipment fails to reduce or control the hazard. Immediate flight diversion is necessary.
Fill in the blank:
Any runway that is not dry is considered to be ______.
wet
Fill in the blank:
A dry runway has ______.
no visible moisture, to include:
- standing water
- ice
- snow
- slush
- or frost of any form
Fill in the blank:
Land And Hold Short Operations (LAHSO) not authorized on ______ runways.
wet
Braking action reports are:
- Good
- Goot to Medium
- Medium
- medium to Poor
- Poor
- Nil*
*Note: you should never hear “NIL” – the airfield would be closed!
Fill in the blank:
The Jet Stream is normally found ______.
near the upper limit of the troposphere.
What are the characteristics of Troposphere?
- from the surface to ~65,000 feet at the Equater
- ~20,000 feet at the poles
- decreasing temperature with height
- water vapor (weather)
Define:
Tropopause
Boundary layer between the Troposphere and the Stratosphere.
Fill in the blank:
Magnitude of wind shear is greater on the ______ side of the Jet Stream.
Polar
What is AWOS?
Automated Weather Observing System


