ATSC 113 Flying Midterm Quiz
Questions and Answers
ceilings are measured with: - Answer--traditional ceilomoters (searchlights at different
angles, and trigonometry)
-laser ceilometers (burst of light, measure time to reflect back)
-ceiling balloons
-pilot reports
-weather-observer estimates
CAVOK = - Answer-Ceiling and Visibility are OK
visibility is OK or visibility is unlimited also indicates the visibility is 10km or greater
vertical visibility - Answer-distance looking straight up or down
determined by:
- vertical distance into an indefinite ceiling
- height of top of ceiling light projector bean
- height a ceiling balloon disappears
- height determined by sensor algorithms based on horizontal visibility
slant visibility - Answer-distance looking at a vertical angle
horizontal visibility - Answer-distance looking straight ahead
the one measured and reported at airports
measuring visibility tools - Answer--transmissometers (shine light down a known path
length)
-scatter visibility meters (back-scatter/opposite direction, forward-scatter/same direction,
or side-scatter; how much light bounces off particles)
runway visual range - Answer-The greatest distance a pilot can see along the active
runway.
only reported when visibility is low
min requirements for visual flight rules (VFR) - Answer-when VFR pilots enter IFC they
cannot determine if the aircraft is right-side up, lose control of the aircraft, and panic
-horizontal visibility of 5 statute miles or more
AND
-ceiling of 3'000ft or more AGL
,marginal VFR - Answer-conditions which VFR is allowed, but visibility is poor/cloud
base is low
cloud base b/w 1'000ft and 3'000ft AGL
and/or
visibility is b/w 3-5 statute miles
requirements for instruments flight rules (IFR) - Answer-cloud base is less than 1'00ft
AGL
and/or
visibility less than 3 statutes miles
VFR over the top - Answer-A VFR operation in which an aircraft operates in VFR
conditions on top of a layer of clouds
don't need IFR clearance to fly over, but clouds might be over airport
fog is formed when... - Answer-water is added to unsaturated air
or
unsaturated air is cooled to dew-point temperature (common at night)
valley fog forms when... - Answer-Cool, dense air settles in a valley
fog + (wind, clear nights, cloud cover) - Answer-wind: turbulence mixes warm dry air,
dissipates/prevents fog
clear nights: cold ground cools air above, forming fog if humidity is high enough
cloud cover: prevents cooling of ground/ground air, preventing fog
fog type - radiation - Answer-ground cools by infra-red radiation, cooling the air above it
fogs that form are shallow and gradually get thicker as night progresses
if fog becomes deep enough, IR cooling happens from fog top = fog becomes hard to
dissipate
fog type - advection - Answer-humid air blown over colder surface
forms a thick layer with sharp, defined front edges
(eg. over colder oceans, snowy forests, etc.)
fog types - upslope - Answer-air pushed uphill cools adiabatically at 10°C/1km up
appear as if the mountain top is in a cloud
fog type - precipitation or frontal - Answer-formed by adding moisture via evaporation
from warm rain drops falling down into unsaturated cooler air (rain into cooler clouds,
waterfall droplets/spray)
also creates fractus clouds
, fog type - steam - Answer-occurs when cold air moves over warm humid surfaces (air
warmed through conduction, water aded by evaporation)
warm air rises, creating a layer of convective turbulence touching the ground
turbulence causes humid air to mix with colder air higher up, creating steam fog
obscurations - Answer-mist: hv >= 1km
fog: visibilities <1km
smoke, volcanic ash, sand, haze, spray, and widespread dust, snow and blowing snow
mist... - Answer-small precipitation particles gently falling through the air
exists in relative humidity of 95% to 100%
thin grey-coloured partial obscuration
smoke... - Answer-comes from factories, cars, forest fires
spread out uniformly within bottom several km of atmosphere
volcanic ash... - Answer-consists of microscopic rocks with sharp edges (abrasive, like
sandpaper)
St.Elmo's fire (sparks writhing across windscreen from built up electric charge)
if enters turbines, can melt and re-solidify into glass-like coatings that cause turbines to
break
Emit many aerosols (eg. sulfur dioxides), which causes red skies
sand... - Answer-sandstorms/haboobs: from strong winds over deserts
abrasive effect (reducing visibility and creating static electric charges)
haze... - Answer-consists of microscopic liquid water droplets forming around a pollutant
particle that attract water vapour
haze particles can grow even when relative humidity is less than 100% (begin
forming/aerosol swelling at 75%)
haze particles quickly grow to a final small size by attracting water vapour out of the air,
and stop growing
generally known as aerosols
common hygroscopic chemicals: salt, sulfates, nitrates, organic chemicals
spray... - Answer-breaking waves cause tiny droplets to be injected into the atmosphere
(therefore exists close to the ground)
often seen near a beach during windy conditions with breaking waves
dust... - Answer-consists of a variety of microscopic solid substances stirred up into the
atmosphere
smaller than sand, therefore can stay in air longer
dust storm: fine particles from farmland lifted by turbulent winds and temporarily
suspended in the atmosphere
Questions and Answers
ceilings are measured with: - Answer--traditional ceilomoters (searchlights at different
angles, and trigonometry)
-laser ceilometers (burst of light, measure time to reflect back)
-ceiling balloons
-pilot reports
-weather-observer estimates
CAVOK = - Answer-Ceiling and Visibility are OK
visibility is OK or visibility is unlimited also indicates the visibility is 10km or greater
vertical visibility - Answer-distance looking straight up or down
determined by:
- vertical distance into an indefinite ceiling
- height of top of ceiling light projector bean
- height a ceiling balloon disappears
- height determined by sensor algorithms based on horizontal visibility
slant visibility - Answer-distance looking at a vertical angle
horizontal visibility - Answer-distance looking straight ahead
the one measured and reported at airports
measuring visibility tools - Answer--transmissometers (shine light down a known path
length)
-scatter visibility meters (back-scatter/opposite direction, forward-scatter/same direction,
or side-scatter; how much light bounces off particles)
runway visual range - Answer-The greatest distance a pilot can see along the active
runway.
only reported when visibility is low
min requirements for visual flight rules (VFR) - Answer-when VFR pilots enter IFC they
cannot determine if the aircraft is right-side up, lose control of the aircraft, and panic
-horizontal visibility of 5 statute miles or more
AND
-ceiling of 3'000ft or more AGL
,marginal VFR - Answer-conditions which VFR is allowed, but visibility is poor/cloud
base is low
cloud base b/w 1'000ft and 3'000ft AGL
and/or
visibility is b/w 3-5 statute miles
requirements for instruments flight rules (IFR) - Answer-cloud base is less than 1'00ft
AGL
and/or
visibility less than 3 statutes miles
VFR over the top - Answer-A VFR operation in which an aircraft operates in VFR
conditions on top of a layer of clouds
don't need IFR clearance to fly over, but clouds might be over airport
fog is formed when... - Answer-water is added to unsaturated air
or
unsaturated air is cooled to dew-point temperature (common at night)
valley fog forms when... - Answer-Cool, dense air settles in a valley
fog + (wind, clear nights, cloud cover) - Answer-wind: turbulence mixes warm dry air,
dissipates/prevents fog
clear nights: cold ground cools air above, forming fog if humidity is high enough
cloud cover: prevents cooling of ground/ground air, preventing fog
fog type - radiation - Answer-ground cools by infra-red radiation, cooling the air above it
fogs that form are shallow and gradually get thicker as night progresses
if fog becomes deep enough, IR cooling happens from fog top = fog becomes hard to
dissipate
fog type - advection - Answer-humid air blown over colder surface
forms a thick layer with sharp, defined front edges
(eg. over colder oceans, snowy forests, etc.)
fog types - upslope - Answer-air pushed uphill cools adiabatically at 10°C/1km up
appear as if the mountain top is in a cloud
fog type - precipitation or frontal - Answer-formed by adding moisture via evaporation
from warm rain drops falling down into unsaturated cooler air (rain into cooler clouds,
waterfall droplets/spray)
also creates fractus clouds
, fog type - steam - Answer-occurs when cold air moves over warm humid surfaces (air
warmed through conduction, water aded by evaporation)
warm air rises, creating a layer of convective turbulence touching the ground
turbulence causes humid air to mix with colder air higher up, creating steam fog
obscurations - Answer-mist: hv >= 1km
fog: visibilities <1km
smoke, volcanic ash, sand, haze, spray, and widespread dust, snow and blowing snow
mist... - Answer-small precipitation particles gently falling through the air
exists in relative humidity of 95% to 100%
thin grey-coloured partial obscuration
smoke... - Answer-comes from factories, cars, forest fires
spread out uniformly within bottom several km of atmosphere
volcanic ash... - Answer-consists of microscopic rocks with sharp edges (abrasive, like
sandpaper)
St.Elmo's fire (sparks writhing across windscreen from built up electric charge)
if enters turbines, can melt and re-solidify into glass-like coatings that cause turbines to
break
Emit many aerosols (eg. sulfur dioxides), which causes red skies
sand... - Answer-sandstorms/haboobs: from strong winds over deserts
abrasive effect (reducing visibility and creating static electric charges)
haze... - Answer-consists of microscopic liquid water droplets forming around a pollutant
particle that attract water vapour
haze particles can grow even when relative humidity is less than 100% (begin
forming/aerosol swelling at 75%)
haze particles quickly grow to a final small size by attracting water vapour out of the air,
and stop growing
generally known as aerosols
common hygroscopic chemicals: salt, sulfates, nitrates, organic chemicals
spray... - Answer-breaking waves cause tiny droplets to be injected into the atmosphere
(therefore exists close to the ground)
often seen near a beach during windy conditions with breaking waves
dust... - Answer-consists of a variety of microscopic solid substances stirred up into the
atmosphere
smaller than sand, therefore can stay in air longer
dust storm: fine particles from farmland lifted by turbulent winds and temporarily
suspended in the atmosphere
