Aviation weather sources such as METAR and TAF, and how wind, density altitude and other conditions affect a small unmanned aircraft. 3 free questions with answers and explanations.
Practice questions written from official FAA publications. They are not questions from the FAA knowledge test.
1.Weather
A remote pilot is operating in clear air a few miles from a large thunderstorm. According to the Aviation Weather Handbook, what should the pilot know about hail?
AHail falls only directly beneath the storm's rain shaft
BHailstones may be encountered in clear air several miles from the thunderstorm
CRain at the surface shows that no hail is present aloft
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Hailstones may be encountered in clear air several miles from the thunderstorm
Large hail forms in severe thunderstorms with strong updrafts. The hailstones can fall in clear air several miles from the storm, and pilots should expect hail with any thunderstorm, especially beneath the anvil.
A. Incorrect. The AWH states hailstones may be encountered in clear air several miles from the thunderstorm.
B. Correct. Hail can fall in clear air several miles from the storm, especially beneath the anvil.
C. Incorrect. The AWH states that rain at the surface does not mean the absence of hail aloft.
A forecast for a remote pilot's work site shows plenty of moisture (high dewpoints) and a conditionally unstable air mass this afternoon. According to the Aviation Weather Handbook, what else is needed for thunderstorm cells to form?
AA surface-based temperature inversion that traps the moist air
BBelow-freezing temperatures at the surface
CA lifting mechanism, such as a front, upslope flow, or a sea breeze
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. A lifting mechanism, such as a front, upslope flow, or a sea breeze
Thunderstorm cells need three ingredients: sufficient water vapor, unstable air, and a lifting mechanism. With moisture and a conditionally unstable air mass already present, a lifting mechanism strong enough to release the instability is the missing piece. Examples include fronts, upslope flow, outflow boundaries, and sea breezes.
A. Incorrect. Wrong. The three ingredients for thunderstorm cell formation are sufficient water vapor, unstable air, and a lifting mechanism; an inversion is not one of them.
B. Incorrect. Wrong. Freezing surface temperatures are not among the three ingredients: sufficient water vapor, unstable air, and a lifting mechanism.
C. Correct. A conditionally unstable air mass needs a lifting mechanism strong enough to release the instability. Fronts, upslope flow, and sea breezes are examples.
A remote pilot plans a flight near an airport whose only weather station is an AWOS. According to the Aviation Weather Handbook, how does an AWOS generate reports?
AIt generates a METAR at 20-minute intervals and does not report SPECIs
BIt generates hourly METARs and a SPECI whenever a weather threshold is exceeded
CIt generates a report only when a pilot requests one by radio
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. It generates a METAR at 20-minute intervals and does not report SPECIs
AWOS is similar to ASOS but generally reports fewer elements. It generates a METAR every 20 minutes and does not report SPECIs; ASOS issues SPECIs when thresholds are exceeded.
A. Correct. The AWH states that AWOS generates a METAR at 20-minute intervals and does not report SPECIs.
B. Incorrect. That describes ASOS, which disseminates hourly and special observations.
C. Incorrect. AWOS generates METARs automatically at 20-minute intervals and also provides one-minute observations by phone or radio.
Source
FAA-H-8083-28B Aviation Weather Handbook, 24.3.2 Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS)
FAA-H-8083-28B Aviation Weather Handbook, 24.3.1 Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS)
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