Download AIGT_METRO Guide

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Describe the parameters of the jet stream:
o Stronger in the winter than the summer
o Found between 25K – 40K ft.
o 1-3000 mi in length
o 1-400 mi in width
o 6-8000 ft in depth
What air mass produces cumuliform clouds, showery precip, gusty winds, Tstorms, and good visibility?
o mTk
Where can you obtain a WX brief?
o Base WX station
o Phone
o Radio
What air mass produces stratiform clouds, steady precip, steady winds, rime
icing, and fog?
o mPw or mTw
What weather is associated with a cold front?
o Cumulonimbus, altocumulus, and showery rain
What weather is associated with a warm front?
o Cirrus, cirrostratus, altostratus, nimbostratus, stratus, rain, and fog
What weather is associated with a stationary front?
o Oscillates back and forth…
o Similar WX to a warm front
 Cirrus, cirrostratus, altostratus, nimbostratus, stratus, rain, and fog
Describe the weather associated with an occluded front:
o It will contain the weather of both a warm and cold front
Where do squall lines form?
o 50-300 mi ahead of a rapidly moving cold front
What weather is associated with a squall line?
o Violent wind, rain, lightning, thunder, and frequently hail and tornadoes
List the thunderstorm hazards:
o Turbulence and hail (the 2 biggest hazards to aircraft)
o Icing
o Low ceiling and visibility
o Microburst
What weather is associated with a Microburst?
o Heavy rain “wall of rain”
o Virga
o Turbulence
o Blowing dust
o Rolling clouds
When are aircraft most vulnerable during a microburst?
o During take-off, approaches, and go-arounds
What are the 4 methods of thunderstorm avoidance?
o Go Around (Most preferred)
o Go over
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o Go under (1/3 of the distance between ground and base of clouds)
o Go through (last resort)
What are the only 2 reasons that you can fly into a WW area?
o A qualified forecaster reports that the WX is not developing as earlier
forecast
o The aircraft performance is such that it can safely climb over the problem
WX system
What type of icing is the most dangerous?
o Clear
Describe CAWWs:
o Issued by the Navy Commander in the absence of a WW for pilot training
areas
o Normally associated with embedded thunderstorms, tornadoes,
turbulence, and icing
o Used for flight planning
What is a MWA?
o Air Force version of a WW that uses color-codes to depict problem WX
What colors on a MWA equate to a WW?
o Red = tornadoes, waterspouts, or funnel clouds
o Blue = severe thunderstorms
What does a convective SIGMET (WST) cover?
o Similar to a WW except for the time period covered: usually 2 hours
o Covers tornadoes, thunderstorms, hail, and embedded thunderstorms
What does a non-convective SIGMET (WS) cover?
o Time period valid for up to 4 hours
o Covers severe turbulence, clear air turbulence (CAT), severe icing, low
visibility due to dust, sand or ash
How are cloud tops measured?
o In feet MSL
There is NO ceiling information in PIREP’s
What are 2 in-flight 2-way radio weather services?
o EFAS
o PMSV
What do satellite pictures indicate?
o Areas of low/high pressure, mountain wave turbulence, jet streams, fog,
and low clouds
What do weather depiction charts indicate?
o Areas of IFR, MVFR, and VFR.
o The # at the 6 o’clock position in the station group indicates the sky
coverage in 100’s of feet AGL
What do surface analysis charts indicate?
o Front highs, lows, troughs, squall lines, sky conditions, weather, and
visibility
o High clouds appear white, low clouds appear gray, and water appears
black
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What is the difference between the top and bottom panels of a low-level
significant weather prognostic chart?
o The top 2 panels depict areas of significant forecast IFR, MVFR,
moderate or greater turbulence/icing
o The bottom 2 panels depict the expected future positions of pressure
systems, fronts, and precipitation
What do radar summary charts depict?
o Radar echoes and lines of activities
o WW’s will be plotted with dashed lines
o Tops of echoes and intensities are noted
What symbols are used on a winds aloft prognostic chart?
o A wind shaft indicates wind direction
o The # at the base is temperature in Celsius
o The # of barbs at the end of the wind shaft indicate the wind velocity in
knots
o 99 indicates calm or light & variable
What do the colors indicate in an infrared satellite picture?
o Different pictures
What do commas indicate on an infrared satellite picture?
o Areas of low pressure and an ensuing front
Where is information about PMSV located?
o FIH – Section C
Describe TWEB and TEL-TWEB:
o Provides prerecorded meteorological and aeronautical information at
selected locations
o TEL-TWEB is available via telephone
What does VV indicate in a METAR?
o Total obscuration – the # after VV is the vertical visibility in hundreds of
feet AGL
Describe the different airborne weather radar returns:
o Scalloped edge – rapidly developing thunderstorms
o Hook – funnel clouds and tornadoes
o V-notch – tornado and thunderstorms
o Finger – hail shafts
What does the airborne weather radar indicate?
o Echoes of both solid and liquid precipitation