Thunderstorms
The three ingredients needed to build a thunderstorm: moisture, unstable air, and this.
What is a lifting agent?
White, fuzzy ice that grows on parked planes overnight and must be scraped off before takeoff.
What is frost?
Bumpy air caused by wind physically bumping into things on the ground like trees or buildings.
What is mechanical turbulence?
The middle stage of a storm where you see heavy rain, lightning, and the worst weather.
What is the mature stage?
The science word for water vapor freezing directly into ice without turning into liquid water first.
What is sublimation?
Bumpy air caused by the sun heating up pavement or dark fields faster than grass or water.
What is thermal turbulence?
Because winds spin counter-clockwise, you should always fly on this side of a storm.
What is the right side?
Milky-white, rough ice that freezes instantly on contact and blocks the pilot's instruments.
What is rime ice?
The most severe type of mechanical bumps, found when strong winds blow over jagged mountains.
What are mountain waves?