fss 103w - NC-SWOP, MANOBS, and types of weather observations

The purpose of surface weather observations it to provide aviation users with ___________ to meet their needs to maintain _________>

detailed weather and climate information, a safe and efficient operation

Aviation users require _______; while other agencies such as agriculture and hydro companies require _______.

short term weather reports and forecasts, daily, monthly, or long term climatological data

NC-SWOP is divided into ______.

8 chapters

MANOBS is the regulatory document issued by _____.

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)

METAR is the international meteorological code for an _____. METAR observations are normally taken and disseminated ____.

Aviation Routine Weather Report, on the hour

SPECI is an aerodrome _______ reported when selected changes in weather conditions significant to aviation occur ________.

Special Meteorological report, off the hour

The criteria for SPECI is the _____ for taking SPECI observations.

minimum requirements

Additional observations should be transmitted as a SPECI based:

• On request of ______

• _________

• Additional requirements for local operations

• Observer’s initiative

a forecast centre or Air Traffic Services (ATS), Aircraft accident

What must be included in the remarks if an aircraft accident occurs?

“ACCIDENT REPORT”

METAR contains information on:

Wind, visibility, present weather, sky condition, temperature and dew point, altimeter, cloud types, ____, and _____ if applicable and remarks.

atmospheric pressure information, wind shear, Runway Visual Range (RVR)

SPECIs generally contains the same information as a METAR witht he exception of _____.

precipitation amount remarks and pressure tendency

The Observer’s Notebook should be used for _____ and retained on the station for ____ in order that the original data is available if required in checking the permanent station records.

all surface weather observations, 31 days

HWOS (_____) is a computer system designed to collect and process _____.

Human Weather Observation System, Surface Weather Observation data

What sensors and automated systems collect and process data directly?

AWOS or RVR

Only the ___ and the _____ that have been processed during the current hour can be corrected.

current METAR, last SPECI observation

You can make any necessary corrections to Surface Base Phenomena, Sky, and Present Weather (WX)

True

Changes to Temperature, Barometer, or wind will require that the Override button be checked

True

Observations may start as early as _____ prior to the observation hour, with the exception of _____.

6 minutes, barometer

The ______ is ingested exactly at the hour.

barometer value

The hourly observation must be transmitted before ______ past the hour.

7 minutes

A SPECI observation should be taken and transmitted whenever one or more of the elements have changed:

Wind, visibility, tornado waterspout and funnel cloud, thunderstorm, ____, _____, other weather phenomena, _______

precipitation, obstructions to vision, ceiling, temperature

When issuing an automated observation, or element other than ______ extracted from the automated observation, state the word AUTOMATED after ____.

wind, temperature, dew point, or altimeter setting, the location name

When issuing a SPECI or SPECI AUTO, or element of those, that is ______, state the word SPECIAL and _______ immediately after the location name

less than one hour old, the last two digits of the time

Issue weather information as observed, or written in reports, except for:

Wind information, visibility, runway ID, _____, present weather, ______, temperature, dew point, altimeter information

RVR information, order of sky condition/ceiling/cloud height/TCU/CB

Which remarks are excluded?

Cloud types (unless TCU or CB) and cloud amounts, sea level pressure data

CB and TCU are appended to the layer report and also stated ______.

after the height of the layer and sky condition

How would “SCT025TCU” be stated correctly?

“TWO THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED SCATTERED T-C-U”

If the Temperature and/or Dew Point is not available, state it as ____, e.g. 12/M is spoken as ________

“MISSING”, “TEMPERATURE ONE TWO DEW POINT MISSING”

TAFs are generated using _______.

using 2 consecutive METARS

In normal situations, an observation is considered representative of the specific weather conditions at the aerodrome if it is taken ________ of the geometric centre of ______.

within 1.6 NM, the runway complex

TAFs are intended to relate to weather conditions for flight operations ______ of the centre of ______, depending on local terrain

within 5 NM, the runway complex

Aerodrome advisories are identified by the word ______ appearing after ______, followed by one of the qualifying reasons.

“ADVISORY”, the date/time group

Aerodrome forecasts based on automated observations shall be issued only for _______. Recognizable by the label ____ in the corresponding METARA or SPECI report.

acceptable AWOS sites, “AUTO”

What are the 7 meteorological parameters required to establish a TAF service?

Sky condition, visibility, present weather and obstructions to vision, air temperature, dew point temperature, wind speed direction and character, mean sea level pressure

If 2 or more consecutive observations are missing, the TAF ____.

will be cancelled

The March TAF is issued ______ starting at ______ with a 12-hour valid period.

every 6 hours, 0200Z

If a FSS with limited hours of operation is not collocated with an AWOS, there will be interruptions to the TAF until _______ and there are ______.

the station opens, two consecutive hourly observations

How many hours does it take for a TAF to be issued at a FSS with no AWOS?

2 hours

If an FSS with limited hours of operation is collocated with an AWOS, there will be no interruption to availability of a TAF for that station.

True

TAFs are issued approximately _____ before the validity period.

30 minutes

A TAF is considered to be valid ______.

from the moment it is issued

The maximum period of validity for a TAF is _____.

30 hours

If the maximum gust speed is forecast to exceed the mean speed by _____, the letter G and the value of the gust speed is added.

10 kts or more

“VRB” is normally coded for variable direction only if the wind speed is _______; however, it may also be coded with higher speeds when ____.

3 kts or less, it is impossible to forecast a single direction

Low level wind shear is used if the forecaster has strong evident to expect ________ that could aversely affect aircraft operation ________.

significant, non-convective wind shear, within 1,500 ft AGL over the aerodrome

The height of the wind shear layer (in ________) is given, followed by the forecast wind speed and direction at that height.

hundreds of feet above ground level

The main effect of wind shear is _______.

the rapid gain or loss of airspeed

Guidelines used to establish whether significant non-convective wind shear hazardous to aircraft exists:

• Vector magnitude exceeding ____ within 500 feet AGL

25 kts

Guidelines used to establish whether significant non-convective wind shear hazardous to aircraft exists:

• Vector magnitude exceeding ____ within 1,000 feet AGL

40 kts

Guidelines used to establish whether significant non-convective wind shear hazardous to aircraft exists:

• Vector magnitude exceeding ____ within 1,500 feet AGL

50 kts

Guidelines used to establish whether significant non-convective wind shear hazardous to aircraft exists:

• A pilot reports a loss or gain of IAS of ______ within ______

20 kts or more, 1,500 ft AGL

The horizontal prevailing visibility is indicated in statute miles and fractions _____, then in whole miles _______. Visibilities greater than 6 SM are indicated as ______.

up to 3 SM, up to 6 SM, P6SM

A maximum of ____ significant weather groups is allowed ______.

3, per forecast period

In the METAR code, “VC” means elements observed ______, but _____.

within 5 SM, not at the station

In the TAF code, “VC” means _______ from the centre of the runway complex

between 5 and 10 NM

What is the only forecast layer to have cloud type identified?

CB layers

For forecast purposes, all components of the following elements are grouped together:

1)

2) Visibility, _________

Sky condition, present weather and obstruction to vision

BECMG is usually used when a few weather elements are forecast to occur gradually; normally _____, but not more than _____

1 to 2 hours, 4 hours

If a significant change in weather or change is forecast, all weather groups, as well as ____, are indicated following “BECMG”, _____.

the visibility, including those that are unchanged

When is the abbreviation “NSW” used?

When the ending of significant weather is forecast (no significant weather)

To keep the forecast clear and unambiguous, the use of “BECMG” is kept to a minimum, and confined to cases where ______ are expected to change.

only one, or at most two, weather groups

In cases where more than two groups are expected to change, ____.

“FM” will be used to start a new self-contained part period

For the purposes of flight planning, and specifically for the selection of IFR alternate aerodromes, if forecast conditions are improving, the new conditions will apply ________.

when the change period is complete

For the purposes of flight planning, and specifically for the selection of IFR alternate aerodromes, if forecast conditions are deteriorating, the new conditions will apply ________.

at the beginning of the period

“TEMPO” is only used when the modified forecast condition is expected to last _______ in each instance, and if expected to recur, the total period of the modified condition will not cover more than _____.

less than one hour, half of the total forecast period

The weather elements used in the PROB group are restricted to _____.

hazards of aviation

The weather elements used in the PROB group:

a) thunderstorms

b) _____ precipitation

c) low level wind shear at or below ______; or

d) ceiling and visibility values important to aircraft operations (e.g. threshold limits, lowest approach limits)

Freezing, 1,500 ft AGL