Chapter 6: Basic Meteorology

Having a good knowledge of the weather, and how it can affect RPA flying allows you to:

• Make safer and more informed flight decisions

• Ignore weather conditions during flight

• Fly in any weather without concern

• Rely solely on autopilot for safety

Identify the six meteorological hazards that can affect RPAS operations.

• Turbulence, wind shear, icing, precipitation, thunderstorms, low visibility

• Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, landslides, drought, flooding

• Radio interference, battery failure, GPS loss, software bugs, hardware malfunction, operator error

• Bird strikes, wildlife, power lines, buildings, trees, restricted airspace

Which of the following lists the 4 sphere layers and the 3 temperatures associated with the atmosphere?

• Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere; cold, warm, hot

• Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Exosphere; cold, warm, hot

• Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere; freezing, boiling, lukewarm

• Troposphere, Stratosphere, Lithosphere, Thermosphere; cold, warm, humid

What layer has the most weather occurrences?

• Troposphere

• Stratosphere

• Mesosphere

• Thermosphere

International Standard Atmosphere: Review 5 – Insert the information associated with the relevant letters (A, B, C, D) in the diagram.

• A: Pressure decrease, B: Temperature decrease, C: Standard pressure, D: Standard temperature.

• A: Temperature increase, B: Pressure increase, C: Standard temperature, D: Standard pressure.

• A: Pressure increase, B: Temperature increase, C: Standard pressure, D: Standard temperature.

• A: Temperature decrease, B: Pressure decrease, C: Standard temperature, D: Standard pressure.

Global Weather: Review 6 – Insert the names associated with the relevant letters (A, B, C, D, E) in the diagram.

• A: South Pole, B: Polar cell, C: Ferrel cell, D: Hadley cell, E: From the Sun.

• A: North Pole, B: Hadley cell, C: Polar cell, D: Ferrel cell, E: From the Earth.

• A: Equator, B: Ferrel cell, C: Hadley cell, D: Polar cell, E: From the Moon.

• A: South Pole, B: Hadley cell, C: Ferrel cell, D: Polar cell, E: From the Sun.

The Coriolis Effect is best described as:

• the apparent deflection of moving objects due to Earth's rotation

• the increase in temperature as altitude increases

• the process by which plants convert sunlight into energy

• the force that pulls objects toward the center of the Earth

Review 8 – Describe the following terms: Cold Front: ____________

• A cold front is the leading edge of a cooler mass of air, replacing at ground level a warmer mass of air.

• A cold front is a high-pressure system that brings prolonged periods of warm weather.

• A cold front is the boundary where two warm air masses meet and mix.

• A cold front is a region of rising warm air that causes thunderstorms.

Review 8 – Describe the following terms: Warm Front: ____________

• A warm front is the leading edge of a warmer mass of air, replacing a cooler mass of air.

• A warm front is the boundary where two cold air masses meet.

• A warm front is a region of high atmospheric pressure.

• A warm front is the area where precipitation never occurs.

Review 8 – Describe the following terms: Ridge: ____________

• A ridge is an elongated area of relatively high atmospheric pressure.

• A ridge is a narrow band of low temperature in the ocean.

• A ridge is a deep valley formed by river erosion.

• A ridge is a sudden drop in atmospheric humidity.