Thunderstruck
Why is frost on wings considered hazardous to flight?
Frost spoils the smooth airflow over the wings, thereby decreasing lifting capability.
Also increased drag from added friction from the roughness of its surface and added weight.
What causes variations in altimeter settings between different airports?
Uneven heating of the earth causes pressure differentials which is reflected by different altimeter settings.
What are the 4 levels of turbulence intensity?
Light - slight changes in altitude/attiude. Slight strain against your seatbelt.
Moderate - Changes in altitude/speed/attitude but positive control of aircraft. Unsecured objects are displaced.
Severe - Large changes in the above. Aircraft momentarily out of control. Pilots forced violently against seatbelts
Extreme - Aircraft is violently tossed around. Structural damage. Impossible to control.
Air flowing around a high pressure system flows this way.
What is clockwise, downward, and outward.
A lens shape cloud that appears stationary that may contain winds of 50kts or more is referred to as...
What is a Lenticular cloud
How far should you stay away from a thunderstorm and why?
20 NM. You can encounter hail and violent turbulence anywhere within 20 miles of very strong thunderstorms.
This is a line of thundastorms extending laterally for hundreds of miles.
What is a squall line?
What weather conditions are needed to exist for structural icing to form
Temps around freezing and visible moisture.
What is a front
Boundary layer between two types of air masses.
The suffix nimbus used in naming clouds means...?
ex) Cumulonimbus
A rain cloud
The amount of water vapor which air can hold depends on the
air temperature
warm air can hold more water vapor
What weather phenomenon is always associated with a thunderstorm?
Lightning.
Lightning causes thunder.
If temperatures where between -15degrees C and -20 degrees C, along with visible moisture, what kind of icing can we expect
Rime
What are signs of an imminent cold front passage?
High dewpoint and a falling barometric pressure
If the dewpoint is 12 and the temperature is 18 degrees Celsius, at what altitude can we expect clouds if we are at an airport at sea level?
3000 ft.
Temperature and dewpoint are the same you can end up with a cloud as the air can become 100% saturated
How would I know I am approaching a Microburst?
You would experience turbulence and a rapid increase in airspeed as you pick up a headwind. You start to climb as your performance increases.
Then once you're in it, you move to a tailwind, drop speed, and lose altitude.
During the life cycle of a thunderstorm, which stage is characterized by downdrafts?
What are the different types of structural icing and how do they look?
Rime, clear, mixed.
Describe the difference between a warm vs cold front occlusion and which one produces worse weather?
Cold - Fast moving cold front is colder than the air ahead of the slow moving warm front.
Warm - Cold fron't air is warmer than the air ahead of the warm front.
Wx more severe during warm front occlusion because the warm air is being force aloft is unstable.
While flying over terrain, you see towering cumulus clouds with extensive vertical development. What does this indicate?
An unstable air mass over the mountain
When there is a temperature inversion, you would expect to experience
An increase in temperature as altitude increases.
Possible haze, fog, and smooth air due to the stable layer of air.