APPENDIX C
WEATHER CHARTS
PRACTICAL EXERCISE
TITLE: WEATHER CHARTS
TERMINAL LEARNING OBJECTIVE: At the completion of this PE the student will:
ACTION: Plan a flight mission IFR and VFR in accordance with weather conditions.
CONDITION: In a classroom environment.
STANDARD: IAW FM 1-230.
EVALUATION: At the end of this PE the instructor will conduct an after action review (AAR) concerning the PE.
RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS: Students need a pen or pencil and this PE.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTION: None.
PROCEDURES:
1. This is a written exercise covering the instruction you received on weather charts.
2. Record your answers on the actual PE handout.
3. All work must be done on you own. If you raise your hand, the instructor will provide assistance.
4. Upon completion of this PE, compare your answers with the solution provided. You will then be able to identify any weak areas to overcome prior to the examination.
5. If unable to complete this PE during the allotted class time, complete it prior to the next class.
6. Use the surface analysis chart provided in this handout as required toanswer the questions.
7. Clear up any misunderstandings with the instructor.
NOTE: Use the Surface Analysis Chart (in your handout) to answer the following questions.
QUESTIONS
1. The date and time of the chart used in this exercise can be found in the ______
______.
2. TRI (35/80) was showing the wind from the ______and the front just south of the station is a
______front.
3. Flying 5,000 feet AGL from MCB (30/90) to TRI (35/80) you should have a ______
(head wind –or- tail wind).
4. On a flight from JAX (30/80) to TUP (30/85) you failed to reset your altimeter. Near TUP, you would be
______(higher/lower) than indicated altitude.
5. What weather conditions shown at TYS (35/80) indicate the front has passed the station? ______
and ______. (Assume you are flying from TRI (35/80) to TYS.)
6. Above 2,000 feet AGL, the wind tends to parallel the isobars. ______(True or False)
7. What is the pressure at JAX (30/80)? ______millibars. What is the trend? ______
8. What is the major weather hazard shown at JAN (30/90)? ______
______
9. What is the dew point shown at JAN (30/90)? ______
10. What is the temperature and dew point at AGS (30/80)? ______
11. What is the cloud coverage shown at ATL (30/80)? ______
12. The sky at ABY (30/80) is ______.
13. The wind at ABY (30/80) is from the ______at ______knots.
14. What is the highest pressure shown on this chart? ______hectoPascals
15. How far apart are the isobars plotted on this chart? ______hectoPascals
16. The temperature at DYR (35/85) is ______degrees (warmer/colder)than the temperature at TUP (30/85).
17. The temperature difference between DYR (35/85) and TUP (30/85) is a good indication of
______.
18. Leaving GRW (30/90) on a flight to VIH (35/90) you are crabbing ______(right/left) for drift correction
as you leave GRW.
19. With the information provided in question 18, approximately 50 miles out of VIH (35/90), your drift correction
will be to the ______(right/left).
20. What is causing the sky condition at HKY (35/80)? ______
21. What is the wind direction shown at CTY (25/80)? ______
22. How much of the sky is covered at CTY (25/80)? ______
23. The pressure should read close to ______hectoPascals at all stations near the isobar running from PNS
(30/85) near ATL (30/80) and NFU (35/75).
24. TRI (35/80) could be expected to show a rather large temperature increase within the next four hours.
Why? ______
______
25. The wind at SGF (35/90) is from the ______. This station is located well ______
(ahead/behind) the ______.
26. The wind at TRI (35/80) is from the ______. Within the next three hours, it should be from the
______.
27. In question 26, what will cause the wind to shift at TRI (35/80)?
______
28. A fast-moving cold front will often produce a squall line ahead of it. ______(True or False).
Is there a squall line shown on this chart? ______(Yes or NO)
NOTE: Refer to weather depiction chart (in your handout) to answer the following questions.
29. The weather depiction chart indicates that a large portion of the ______part of the United States
is IFR and there is a ______front from Illinois to Texas.
30. An area enclosed without shading on the depiction chart, would indicate ______
conditions.
31. If shading is shown on a depiction chart, an area enclosed with solid lines is an area of
______conditions.
32. Clear skies always prevail outside enclosed areas on this type chart. ______(True or False)
33. Using station designated as #1, what is the visibility and obscuration illustrated? ______
34. Transcribe all weather factors at station designated #3 (in shaded area).
a. visibility ______
b. sky condition ______
c. ceiling ______
d. obscuration ______
35. Using station designated #2, the station is reporting a cloud layer of ______feet and
______miles visibility.
36. Is the cloud layer at #2 a broken or scattered condition? ______
37. On a weather depiction chart the visibility is depicted to the left of the station model. If the visibility
is ______miles, the figure is omitted.
NOTE: Refer to radar summary chart(in your handout) to answer the following questions.
38. What important information is provided by radar summary charts that is not shown on other
weather charts? ______
39. What weather conditions are depicted in the area indicated by “A” on the radar summary chart?
______
______
40. What is the direction and speed of the cell off the coast of North Carolina (located as #B on chart)?
______
41. What is the top echo located in the cell along the northern edge of North Dakota (located as #C on chart)?
______
42. What is the direction and speed of the individual cell off the east coast ofFlorida (located as #D on chart)?
______
43. For the most effective use of the radar summary chart during preflight planning, a pilot should
______
______
FEEDBACK: After completion of the PE, the instructor will conduct a critique/after action review.
APPENDIX C
WEATHER CHARTS
PRACTICAL EXERCISE SOLUTIONS
C-1
1. legend information
2. Southeast, warm
3. tail wind
4. lower
5. wind, temperature
6. True
7. 1,024; rising, then falling
8. thunderstorm
9. 16 Celsius
10. 16/12
11. overcast
12. scattered
13. Southeast, 10
14. 1,025 hectoPascals
15. four
16. colder, 12C
17. frontal passage
18. left
19. right
20. fog
21. Southeast
22. 3/8 to 4/8
23. 1,016 hectoPascals
24. passage of warm front
25. Northwest; behind, front
26. Southeast, Southwest
27. warm front passage
28. True, no
29. central, stationary
30. marginal VFR conditions (MVFR)
31. IFR
32. False
33. 5 miles, obscuration, haze
34. a. 2 miles
b. Totally obscured
c. Indefinite
d. fog
35. 25,000 greater than 5
36. scattered
37. greater than five
38. echoes of cells
39. intense echoes, tops to 40,000 ft MSL; thunderstorms and rain showers
40. Northeast, 15 knots
41. 13,000 ft
42. Northeast, 10 knots
43. Compare information with the weather
depiction chart to get a three-dimensional view
of clouds and precipitation.
C-1