RPC Aviation Weather Services 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An AIRMET Sierra (AIRMET S) is issued to warn pilots of:
- Severe icing above 18,000 feet MSL
- IFR conditions and/or extensive mountain obscuration (Correct answer)
- Severe turbulence at all altitudes
- Tropical storm development over open water
Correct answer: IFR conditions and/or extensive mountain obscuration
AIRMET Sierra covers IFR conditions (ceilings below 1,000 feet and/or visibility below 3 miles) and mountain obscuration hazards.
Question 2: What is the primary source for obtaining a standard weather briefing before a sUAS flight?
- Local television news weather forecast
- 1800wxbrief.com or Flight Service (1-800-WX-BRIEF) (Correct answer)
- Nearest NWS office walk-in service
- Aviation app with crowd-sourced pilot reports
Correct answer: 1800wxbrief.com or Flight Service (1-800-WX-BRIEF)
1800wxbrief.com (Leidos Flight Service) and the phone number 1-800-WX-BRIEF are the official FAA-designated sources for standard aviation weather briefings.
Question 3: In a TAF, the change indicator 'TEMPO' means:
- Temporary conditions expected to last less than 1 hour each occurrence and total less than half the period (Correct answer)
- Temperature oscillations expected throughout the forecast period
- Permanent change in conditions beginning at the indicated time
- Gradually improving conditions over a 6-hour period
Correct answer: Temporary conditions expected to last less than 1 hour each occurrence and total less than half the period
TEMPO indicates temporary fluctuations in conditions lasting less than one hour each and expected to occur for less than half of the forecast period.
Question 4: Which type of PIREP is considered mandatory for pilots to file when they encounter?
- Moderate turbulence
- Severe turbulence or severe icing (Correct answer)
- Any precipitation aloft
- Temperature inversions above 10,000 feet
Correct answer: Severe turbulence or severe icing
FAA regulations require pilots to report severe turbulence, severe icing, and other hazardous conditions encountered en route.
Question 5: A convective SIGMET is automatically issued when a thunderstorm cluster covers an area of at least:
- 1,000 square miles with cells affecting 40% of the area (Correct answer)
- 3,000 square miles with cells affecting 40% of the area
- 500 square miles with severe embedded cells
- Any area with confirmed lightning activity
Correct answer: 1,000 square miles with cells affecting 40% of the area
Convective SIGMETs are issued for embedded thunderstorms, a line of thunderstorms, or an area of thunderstorms covering at least 3,000 sq mi affecting 40% of the area — but the standard cluster threshold is 1,000 sq mi.
Question 6: What does a red contour on a Graphical Turbulence Guidance (GTG) chart represent?
- Light turbulence — generally smooth flight expected
- Moderate turbulence — intensity that may cause unsecured objects to shift
- Severe turbulence — large abrupt changes in altitude or attitude (Correct answer)
- Extreme turbulence — aircraft temporarily out of control
Correct answer: Severe turbulence — large abrupt changes in altitude or attitude
Red contours on GTG charts indicate severe turbulence, which causes large abrupt changes in altitude or attitude and may momentarily cause loss of aircraft control.
Question 7: When reading a METAR, the cloud layer reported as 'BKN030' means:
- Broken clouds at 3,000 feet AGL (Correct answer)
- Broken clouds at 30,000 feet MSL
- Below-standard conditions at 300 feet AGL
- Broken layer at 300 feet MSL
Correct answer: Broken clouds at 3,000 feet AGL
In a METAR, cloud heights are reported in hundreds of feet AGL; BKN030 means broken clouds at 3,000 feet above ground level.
RPC Aviation Weather Services 3
An AIRMET Sierra (AIRMET S) is issued to warn pilots of: