ATSC 113 VIEW AHEAD EXAM TEST PAPER
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS 2026
⫸ convective clouds or cumuliform clouds look like ____ and are
associated with ____. Answer: cotton balls, updrafts
⫸ layer clouds or stratiform clouds. Answer: look like sheets or
blankets that can extend hundreds of km horizontally
⫸ Stratocumulus clouds. Answer: low-altitude layer of lumpy clouds,
characteristics of both cumuliform and stratiform groups
⫸ castellanus clouds. Answer: look like small castle turrets
clue that atmosphere is becoming instable, thunderstorms possible
later in the day
bumpy to fly in the cloud layer, smooth above and below
⫸ billow (K-H wave) clouds. Answer: indicate wind shear and clear-
air turbulence at aircraft altitudes
smooth air often below and above layer of billow clouds
,⫸ wind shear. Answer: A change in wind direction and/or wind speed
⫸ Clear Air Turbulence (CAT). Answer: when wind-shear turbulence
happens outside of (and not near) a thunderstorm moderate to strong
bumps
⫸ Lenticular (mountain-wave) clouds. Answer: indicate vertical wind
oscillations and possible mountain-wave turbulence
⫸ How do lenticular (mountain-wave) clouds effect sail planes?.
Answer: good because sailplanes can use updraft portion of the wave
to surf wave and fly very long horizontal distances
⫸ How do lenticular (mountain-wave) clouds effect commercial
aircrafts?. Answer: bad because it can mean a bumpy ride at all
altitudes while flying over mountains
⫸ rotor clouds. Answer: indicate severe or extreme turbulence at low
altitudes due to mountain waves
can break off wings of aircrafts and effects sailors if rotors occur over
water
⫸ banner clouds. Answer: form downwind side of mountain peak,
indicate strong turbulence touching downwind side of a tall, isolated
mountain peak
,⫸ pyrocumulus (cumulus flammagenitus) clouds. Answer: form over
forest fires and volcanoes, indicate forest fire so strong that heat and
moisture released can make thunderstorm in smoke
⫸ pileus clouds. Answer: form over fast growing cumulus clouds
interesting to watch but otherwise harmless and do not effect flying,
sailing or snow-sports
⫸ fractus clouds /scud. Answer: form in turbulent humid air near the
ground, scud clouds indicate high humidity and strong winds at low
altitude
⫸ fumulus clouds (cumulus homogenitus). Answer: water-droplet
clouds over cooling towers. interesting to see but harmless
⫸ contrails (cirrus homogenitus). Answer: aircraft condensation trail
indicate turbulent wing-tip vortices behind aircraft. small aircraft can
be flipped upside down if they accidentally fly into a wing-tip vortex
⫸ VFR. Answer: pilots flying visually, must stay out of clouds
⫸ IFR. Answer: pilots flying with instruments, concerned if there is
low overcast over their destination airport
, ⫸ the fraction of the sky covered by cloud is called. Answer: sky
cover, cloud cover, cloud amount
⫸ sky is obscured. Answer: might be clouds but the observer on the
ground cannot see them
⫸ What is considered a ceiling for aviation?. Answer: altitude of the
cloud base with the lowest cloud coverage greater than or equal to 5
oktas
when clouds cover more than half the sky
⫸ According to ICAO, ceiling is the height above ground level of the
lowest cloud base that is below .... Answer: 20,000 ft (6,000 m) and is
covering more than hald the sky (cloud coverage 5/8 or more aka
broken or overcast)
⫸ When would one report vertical visibility?. Answer: when there is
poor visibility that at the ground level is cannot be seen whether there
are clouds or not
ex. fog, forest-fire smoke or in a dust storm
⫸ CAVOK. Answer: Ceiling and Visibility OK (good for VFR flight)
⫸ What type of visibility is measured and reported at airports?.
Answer: horizontal visibility because it is the most relevant for safety
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS 2026
⫸ convective clouds or cumuliform clouds look like ____ and are
associated with ____. Answer: cotton balls, updrafts
⫸ layer clouds or stratiform clouds. Answer: look like sheets or
blankets that can extend hundreds of km horizontally
⫸ Stratocumulus clouds. Answer: low-altitude layer of lumpy clouds,
characteristics of both cumuliform and stratiform groups
⫸ castellanus clouds. Answer: look like small castle turrets
clue that atmosphere is becoming instable, thunderstorms possible
later in the day
bumpy to fly in the cloud layer, smooth above and below
⫸ billow (K-H wave) clouds. Answer: indicate wind shear and clear-
air turbulence at aircraft altitudes
smooth air often below and above layer of billow clouds
,⫸ wind shear. Answer: A change in wind direction and/or wind speed
⫸ Clear Air Turbulence (CAT). Answer: when wind-shear turbulence
happens outside of (and not near) a thunderstorm moderate to strong
bumps
⫸ Lenticular (mountain-wave) clouds. Answer: indicate vertical wind
oscillations and possible mountain-wave turbulence
⫸ How do lenticular (mountain-wave) clouds effect sail planes?.
Answer: good because sailplanes can use updraft portion of the wave
to surf wave and fly very long horizontal distances
⫸ How do lenticular (mountain-wave) clouds effect commercial
aircrafts?. Answer: bad because it can mean a bumpy ride at all
altitudes while flying over mountains
⫸ rotor clouds. Answer: indicate severe or extreme turbulence at low
altitudes due to mountain waves
can break off wings of aircrafts and effects sailors if rotors occur over
water
⫸ banner clouds. Answer: form downwind side of mountain peak,
indicate strong turbulence touching downwind side of a tall, isolated
mountain peak
,⫸ pyrocumulus (cumulus flammagenitus) clouds. Answer: form over
forest fires and volcanoes, indicate forest fire so strong that heat and
moisture released can make thunderstorm in smoke
⫸ pileus clouds. Answer: form over fast growing cumulus clouds
interesting to watch but otherwise harmless and do not effect flying,
sailing or snow-sports
⫸ fractus clouds /scud. Answer: form in turbulent humid air near the
ground, scud clouds indicate high humidity and strong winds at low
altitude
⫸ fumulus clouds (cumulus homogenitus). Answer: water-droplet
clouds over cooling towers. interesting to see but harmless
⫸ contrails (cirrus homogenitus). Answer: aircraft condensation trail
indicate turbulent wing-tip vortices behind aircraft. small aircraft can
be flipped upside down if they accidentally fly into a wing-tip vortex
⫸ VFR. Answer: pilots flying visually, must stay out of clouds
⫸ IFR. Answer: pilots flying with instruments, concerned if there is
low overcast over their destination airport
, ⫸ the fraction of the sky covered by cloud is called. Answer: sky
cover, cloud cover, cloud amount
⫸ sky is obscured. Answer: might be clouds but the observer on the
ground cannot see them
⫸ What is considered a ceiling for aviation?. Answer: altitude of the
cloud base with the lowest cloud coverage greater than or equal to 5
oktas
when clouds cover more than half the sky
⫸ According to ICAO, ceiling is the height above ground level of the
lowest cloud base that is below .... Answer: 20,000 ft (6,000 m) and is
covering more than hald the sky (cloud coverage 5/8 or more aka
broken or overcast)
⫸ When would one report vertical visibility?. Answer: when there is
poor visibility that at the ground level is cannot be seen whether there
are clouds or not
ex. fog, forest-fire smoke or in a dust storm
⫸ CAVOK. Answer: Ceiling and Visibility OK (good for VFR flight)
⫸ What type of visibility is measured and reported at airports?.
Answer: horizontal visibility because it is the most relevant for safety
