ATC Basics: Current Weather Part One (copy)

What are the three types of weather observations used in aviation?

Automated observation

Augmented Observation

Manual Observation

What weather observation doesn’t require a certified weather observer?

Automated Observations

what are three observation systems used at US airports?

AWOS

AWOS-3

ASOS

What is the primary observation code used in the United States?

Aviation Routine Weather Report (METAR)

What weather reports are scheduled and transmitted at fixed intervals (at least once per hour)?

METAR

What report is taken when certain criteria have been observed?

Aviation Selected Special Weather Report (SPECI)

What weather report is unscheduled and only applicable to stations that have the evaluating event capability?

SPECI

In an announcement report what elements announce the word “missing” when an item or component of weather report is not reported?

Everything Except:

Report Modifier

Runway visual range (RVR)

Remarks

Present Weather group

The term missing is also used in place of?

Unreadable or obviously incorrect

What is METAR announced as?

It is not announced

What is SPECI announced as?

Special Report

What is a four letter international Civil AlAviation airport code?

ICAO

In the contiguous US most airport identifiers are coded with?

“K” followed by the three letter identifier

What structure do ICAO codes have?

Regional structure and are not duplicated

The first letter is allocated to region in an ICAO, what does it additionally represent?

Countries within the region

North Pacific Region In the United States is represented by what letter?

P

What are Alaskas, Hawaii, and Guams ICAO prefix?

PA

PH

PG

When is the state name announced with the location name?

Location name is duplicated within 500miles

What is said in replace of Zulu during a METAR

Observation

The first two digits of a METAR are?

Day of the month

The second two digits of a METAR are?

Hour (UTC)

What are the final two digits of a METAR?

Minute

What is included in a SPECI observation?

Hours and minutes

What two digits are announced in SPECI?

Minutes (last two digits)

What does a Report modifier of Auto mean?

Fully automated report

What does a COR on a report indicate?

Corrected

What is the METAR/SPECI report order?

1. Station Identifier

2. Report Modifier

3. Type of Report

4. Date and Time of Report (only announce time)

How do we report wind using a METAR/SPECI?

1. Wind Direction

2. Wind Speed

3. Gusts (if applicable)

4. Variable Wind

What do the first three digits of wind indicate?

wind direction relative to true north

The two digits after direction indicate?

wind speed

What does it mean if the wind speed is greater than 6 knots?

the wind direction is variable

For speeds less than 10 knots is the zero spoken?

no

What is 00000KT?

Wind calm

What is prevailing visibility?

the visibility that is considered representative of conditions at the station and it is at least half the horizon circle, not necessarily continuous

How do you announce visibility?

visibility value in statute miles and or fractions of statute miles

When is RVR reported?

Visibility is 1SM or less

RVR for the designated instrument runway is 6,000 feet or less

In RVR what is does a M represent and how is it spoken?

Less than

In RVR what does a P represent and how is it spoken?

more than

How are RVR variables coded?

lowest and highest value are coded with a V between them

What are the intensity qualifiers?

Light (-)

Moderate (No entry)

Heavy (+)

What is the “vicinity” proximity qualifier?

VC

What does VC indicate?

weather phenomenon located between 5-10 miles from the point of observation

What are qualifiers with certain types of precipitation and obscurations

descriptors

What is the term to describe the phenomenon in the atmosphere other than precipitation that reduces horizontal visibility?

obscuration

When one or more type of present weather is reported what is the order it is reported?

tornado activity

thunderstorms

present weather

How is VC spoken?

In the vicinity