Frequently Asked Aviation Weather Questions (FAQ)
© Peter Lester
Frequently-asked-questions
(FAQs) and appropriate answers are found below. They are organized
according to chapter of Aviation Weather, 3rd Edition, unless otherwise
stated. In cases of overlapping material, some questions and answers
may appear in two or more FAQ locations.
The Table
of Contents for Aviation Weather is given below to help you sort
through the broad topics of each chapter. Click
on the Part or Chapter Number and you will go to the page with
the appropriate list of questions for that part of the text.
Can’t
find relevant FAQ? Email
your query to me.
Table
of Contents
Part I Aviation Weather Basics
Chapter 1 The Atmosphere
Chapter 2 Atmospheric Energy and Temperature
Chapter 3 Pressure, Altitude, And Density
Chapter 4 Wind
Chapter 5 Vertical Motion and Stability
Chapter 6 Atmospheric Moisture
Part
II Atmospheric Circulation Systems
Chapter 7 Scales of Atmospheric Circulations
Chapter 8 Airmasses, Fronts, and Cyclones
Chapter 9 Thunderstorms
Chapter 10 Local Winds
Part
III Aviation Weather Hazards
Chapter 11 Wind Shear
Chapter 12 Turbulence
Chapter 13 Icing
Chapter 14 Instrument Meteorological
Conditions (IMC)
Chapter 15 Additional Weather Hazards
Part
IV Applying Weather Knowledge
Chapter 16 Aviation Weather Resources
Chapter
17 Weather Evaluation for Flight
Appendixes
Appendix A: Conversion Factors
Appendix B: Standard Atmosphere
Appendix C: Dewpoint and Humidity Tables
Appendix D: Standard Meteorological Codes
and Graphics for Aviation
Appendix E: Glossary of
Weather Terms
Appendix F: Internet Resources and Printed
References
Appendix G: Review Question Answers
Appendixes
A. Conversion
Factors
B. Standard
Atmosphere
C. Temperature
and Humidity Tables
D. Standard
Meteorological Codes and Graphics for Aviation
- Q.
Is the Weather Depiction Chart really useful? Sometimes,
it seems that it is not very accurate.
A.
The Weather Depiction Chart is described in Aviation
Weather (3rd Ed.) in Chapter 14 on
pages 14-9 and 14-10 (figure 14-7). Further description is
given in Appendix D (page D-16). It is also explained in
Aviation Weather Services (AC 00-45F) in Chapter
5.
This
chart is often a few hours old by the time the data are
gathered, communicated, analyzed, and finally distributed
to you, the user. The problem is that rapidly changing conditions
may not be accurately represented by the time you see the
chart. For example, IFR conditions due to radiation fog
can quickly improve to MVFR or VFR after the sun rises.
Similarly a fast moving squall line can result in a change
from VFR to IFR in a few minutes. Also, the Weather Depiction
Chart may be unrepresentative in rugged terrain due to the
separation of stations by
mountain ranges.
The
best use of the Weather Depiction chart is as a tool for
a “first
look” at the weather. It gives you a general idea where
the ceiling and visibility problems are. The next step is
to sharpen that first view of the current weather with more
recent and more detailed observational information such as
METAR, RADAR, and PIREP data.
-
Q.
Why does METAR and TAF stuff have to be so difficult
to understand? In these times of high speed communications,
can’t plain
language be used?
A.
There are plain language “translations”
available, although you may not necessarily get all the detail
of a coded METAR report. Most NWS offices have both coded
and decoded METAR information on their websites.
Actually,
with practice, METAR and TAF codes are fairly easy to
understand. Of course, the key word is “practice.” One
of the nice things about the ADDS METAR decoded report
is that you also get the coded version at the bottom of
the page. This allows you to “test” yourself
on the interpretation of coded data every time you request
a decoded METAR. More practice for METAR and TAF can be
found in the chapter question sections throughout Aviation
Weather (3rd Ed.) and in Appendix D. Note International
METARs and TAFs (appendix D) are slightly different than
U.S. versions. The Aviation Weather Laboratory Manual (2007)
has METAR decoding practice in Exercises 3, 4, 6, 7, 10
(Frontal Passage), 15, and 17. TAF practice decoding is
found in Exercises 16 and 17. Aviation Weather Services (AC
00-45F), Chapters 2 and 4, is also helpful.
- Q
2. Is there a plotting model strictly for METAR reports
that is similar to the inset in Figure 4-10 and to Appendices
on pp. D-15 and D-16? This would help in the interpretation
of plotted METAR reports throughout the text.
A. “Yes. In the U.S., the government Aviation Digital
Data Service (ADDS) at http://adds.aviationweather.noaa.gov/metars/description2.php provides
a METAR plotting model. It is shown below. Note there may be
plotting variations for other countries.
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E. Glossary
of Weather Terms
F. Internet
Resources and printed References
- Q.
Are the URLs in Appendix F current?
A.
The URLs have been updated in the 3rd edition of Aviation
Weather. For more recent updates, CLICK
HERE.
G. Review
Question Answers
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