instrument EOC

SIGMET valid time?

4 hours, 6 hours for SIGMETs of tropical cyclones or volcanic ash clouds AIM 7-1-5

what equipment is required for IFR flights?

- 91.205 ATOMATOFLAMES FLAPS GRABCARDD

what weather methods are recorded? why is it important to have a briefing record?

1-800WXBRIEF weather briefing, and DUATS. If something goes wrong you want the FAA to know you were aware of conditions

what are the currency requirements for instrument rated pilot?

66HIT, the preceding 6 calendar months of the flight you must have logged 6 instrument approaches, holding, intercepting and tracking procedures. If you don't meet those requirements you have 6 months to get current utilizing a safety pilot who must meet same category, class, and type for the aircraft. if those 6 months go by you must get an IPC FAR 61.57

what is mixed ice?

A combination of rime and clear ice formed on the same surface. The shape and roughness of the ice is the most important when determining the aerodynamic effects

what is clear icing?

A glossy, transparent ice formed by relatively slow freezing of super cooled large water droplets (SLD - droplets greater than 50 microns in diameter). The densest, hardest, and heaviest of icing, as well as most difficult to remove. Can form "horns" on the leading edge of the wing, significantly increasing effects of ice. Temps close to freezing, large amounts of water, high velocity, and large droplets typically form clear ice

what is a radar summary chart? Issuance and validity?

A radar summary chart is a graphical depiction display of collections of automated radar weather reports. displays areas of precipitation, type, intensity, configuration, coverage, tops and cell movements of precipitation. Issued every hour, informations is observed.

warm vs cold front

Cold fronts move faster than warm fronts, and have a steeper frontal slope. Violent weather activity is associated with cold fronts. Warm fronts typically bring low ceilings, poor visibility and rain. Cold fronts typically bring sudden storms, gusty winds, turbulence, and sometimes hail or tornadoes.

what does collision avoidance mean? who is responsible for avoiding a collision? What measures can I take to reduce risk of collision?

FAR 91.111 basically collision avoidance means you are never so close to another airplane/vehicle/object to make a collision hazard. The PIC is directly responsible for, and is the final authority as to the operation of that aircraft (91.3). Using ATC assistance, copilots, good communication, etc will help reduce collision hazard

how do you determine the route and altitude for a cross-country flight?

FOOPAH. Fuel Requirements Obstacle Altitudes, Oxygen Requirements, Preferred Routes, Aircraft Performance, Hemispheric Altitudes.

what is a cold front occlusion?

Fast moving cold front is COLDER than the air ahead of the warm front. Cold air replaces cool air and forces warm air aloft. If lifted air is stable, a mixture of both warm and cold front weather is observed.

what is a warm front occlusion?

Fast moving cold front is WARMER than the air ahead of the warm front. Cold front rides up and over the warm front. If lifted air is unstable, the weather is more severe than cold front occlusion. Embedded thunderstorms, rain, and fog are likely.

what's the difference between flight and reported visibility?

Flight visibility is what is actually observed in flight. Reported is just what the observations say.

what is KIAS? TAS? where are they used? how do you convert?

Indicated and true airspeed, respectively. Indicated is what's read on the instrument. True airspeed is the actual speed the aircraft is moving. Convert from KIAS to KCAS (calibrated) with the POH, then calculate KTAS with E6B. Or on the ASI has a temperature and pressure altitude scale.

what are departure procedures (DP)?

Instrument procedures which guide departing aircraft to the enroute phase. Pilot must cross end of runway at 35agl, and climb at least 200FPNM. Found in departures section of terminal procedures publication.

when are position reports required?

M-missed approach A-airspeed plus or minus 10 knots of filed TAS or 10% change R-reaching a holding fix V-VFR on top E*-ETA plus or minus 3 min change L-leaving a holding fix O*-outer marker U-unforecasted weather S-safety of flight V-vacating an altitude F*-final approach fix R-radio or nav failure C*-compulsory reporting points 500-unable to maintain a 500fpm climb or descent

what is NWKRAFT?

N-notams W-weather K-known ATC delays R-runway lengths A-alternates F-fuel requirements T-takeoff/landing distance data

what are the different types of DPs?

Obstacle Departure Procedure(ODP)-designed specifically to avoid terrian/obstacle and can be flown without ATC approval. You need a textual description. Standard Instrument Departure(SID)-designed to reduce pilot workload and requires clearance to be flown. Diverse Vectoring Area-This is not a procedure per say, but is still important to know. A DVA may be established below the minimum vectoring altitude in diverse areas. Basically, they are a different set of climb and vectoring instructions. This allows ATC to vector you sooner, below the MVA. If you depart IFR without any other DPs, you need to comply with the DVA minimums if you are in a DVA.

what are the characteristics of a high pressure system?

Remember "High OCD". High: Outward, clockwise, and downward. Low is opposite. Low: Inward, counterclockwise, and upward. Low pressure systems provide a lifting force, and generally produces poor weather for flying. Low pressure systems are known as "cyclonic", and high pressure systems are known as "anticyclonic". Represented as H or L on charts.

what is rime icing?

Rough, milky, opaque ice formed by the instantaneous or rapid freezing of super cooled droplets as they strike aircraft. Rapid freezing results in air pockets of ice, making it look opaque and brittle. Low temperatures, lesser amounts of water, low velocities, and small droplets are conducive of rime ice formation

what are preferred routes?

Routes already established by ATC to reduce workload and smooth flow from one terminal to another. Found in Chart Supplement in Preferred Routes section. Typically only exist for bigger terminals.

what is a Standard Terminal Arrival Route (STAR)?

STARs are procedures which connect the enroute phase to the terminal phase, and typically serve multiple airports. Found in the beginning of the TPP. "DESCEND VIA..." allows pilot to follow course exactly as published, following altitude and guidance. "CLEARED FOR..." does not allow the pilot to descend, and pilot must only follow the procedure laterally.

what info does a flight plan contain?

always your destination and altitude

what sources could I use to find stable/unstable air masses? moisture, freezing levels and frontal activity?

area forecast, METAR, TAF, to help figure out cloud type and height, vis, precip. AIRMETS/SIGMETS are a good use for turbulence info. moisture: temp/dewpoint, FG/BR, type of clouds or precip. frontal: surface analysis chart, weather depiction chart, falling altimeter, wind shifts, temp/dewpoint, general change in weather

when do we change the altimeter setting?

at and above FL180 to 29.92

whats the difference between a blue and green colored airport?

blue means it has a published IAP from the high altitude DOD FLIPS. Green means the airport has a IAP

what is wake turbulence? where can it be encountered?

by product of lift, the higher pressure under the wing spirals up off the end to "catch" the low pressure air. Drifts with the wind, the light quartering tail wind is the most dangerous. it can be encountered anywhere behind an airplane. most commonly on takeoff and landing. You can avoid wake turbulence by taking off upwind up the vortices, or landing beyond and above the aircraft in front

how much ice will change flight characteristics?

can kill lift by up to 30% and add 40% more drag

why are checklists important? are all checklists used in the same way? where does info on checklists come from?

checklists are important because if followed correctly they assure proper steps have been taken for a particular phase of flight. To keep it consistent yes, but some emergency checklists can be memory if you don't have time. checklists come from POH

when is an instrument flight plan required?

class A airspace, flight when weather is less than VFR

how do you get an IFR clearance at a non-controlled airport?

contact the local FSS on phone or radio. Or can call approach or center if you can reach them. They will issue a void time and you have to contact them in the air before void time

what is the difference between current and proficiency?

current means your are legal, proficient means you can conduct that operation safely

how can you determine the freezing level?

freezing level charts, airmet zulu, pireps, winds/temp aloft forecasted, prognostic chart, and you could use general lapse rate of 2 degrees for 1,000ft for a general idea

As PIC how do you handle distractions in flight?

if the distraction impacts the safety of flight and my SA/SRM, the distraction should be stopped. If i can't control it then focus on the key concepts of flying the airplane to the best of my ability and get on the ground.

stable warm vs unstable warm air in front of cold front?

if warm air stable, overcast and rain occurs for some distance behind the front. If warm air is unstable, scattered thunderstorms and rain showers will form.

do weather charts report true or magnetic? how do you convert between them? is a weather briefers info true or magnetic?

if you read it it's true, hear it magnetic. Use the variation lines in purple on VFR sectionals or green lines on IFR low enroute. Weather briefer is true north.

winds aloft valid time?

issued 4 times daily and valid for time on chart

SIGMET valid time

issued hourly at 55min past the hour. its either a forecast and observation or just forecast. forecast valid for up to 2 hours AIM 7-1-5

AIRMET valid time?

issues by National Weather Service Aviation Weather center. issued every 6 hours meaning valid for 6 hours

what is situational awareness (SA)? Why is loss of SA dangerous? what problems might occur if a pilot were to fixate on one source of information and ignore others? How could you maintain SA?

knowing the circumstances of flight both inside and outside of aircraft. Loss of SA is dangerous because you have lost information necessary to stay safe. If you focus on one source you are not scanning and that could lead to deviations. Instrument scanning, visually scanning, GPS, iPad, charts, ATC, etc

what is land and hold short? (LAHSO) where might I encounter it? what are my responsibilities?

landing and holding short of an intersecting runway, an intersecting taxiway, or some other point on a runway. The PIC has final authority to accept or decline. If accepted must be adhered to unless obtained a amended clearance/emergency or TCAS. AIM 4-3-11

what is the definitions of a ceiling?

lowest layer of broken, overcast or obscured. weather reports like METARs, TAFs, FA will report ceilings

characteristics of a cold front?

mass cold, dense, stable air replaces body of warm air. cold air stays closer to the ground sliding under the warm air and forcing it upward. (type of clouds are determined by stability of warm air).

what are hazardous attitudes? how do you reduce risk with hazardous attitudes?

mindsets which can impact safe flight. Such as resignation, Macho, invulnerability, antiauthortity, impulsivity. The antidotes are I'm not useless, taking chances is foolish, it could happen to me, the rules exist for a reason and are usually right, not so fast think. (PHAK)

which generally provides better weather for flying?

niether, but warm is generally less severe

what does the A in a triangle on a approach chart mean? what does the A in a triangle with NA mean?

non-standard alternate minimums, alternate minimums are not authorized

where do you find winds and temperatures aloft? why are they important?

on aviationweather.gov. Determining the most favorable altitude based on winds and direction of flight Identifying areas of possible aircraft icing, by noting air temperature of +2°C to -20°C, and temperature inversions. Predicting turbulence by observing abrupt changes in wind direction and speed at different altitudes

when is a instrument rating required for flight?

operating on IFR flight plan, weather conditions less than VFR, carrying passengers over 50nm or at night, special VFR at night, class A airspace

warm front prior, during, and after passage?

prior: Cirriform or stratiform clouds. Fog. During summer, cumulonimbus can form. Moderate precipitation as rain, sleet, snow, or drizzle. Poor visibility. Temp is cool with increasing dewpoint. Pressure falls until front passes completely. during:Statiform clouds. Drizzle or rain. Poor visibility that eventually improves. Variable winds. Temp rises steadily as warm air flows in. after:Strato clouds and rain showers. Warming temperature, with rising dewpoint that eventually levels off

what does a cold front look like prior, during and after passage?

prior: towering cumulus/cumulonimbus. Rain showers due to rapid cooling and development, falling pressure, high dew point during: towering cumulus/cumulonimbus, heavy rain showers, lightning, thunder, possible hail, gusty winds, pressure quickly falls, bottoms out, begins to recover after: clouds dissipate from towering cumulus and cumulonimbus. decrease in precip, good vis, temps stays cooler, pressure starts to rise

what is risk management? what is PAVE? what is IMSAFE?

proactively identifying safety hazards and mitigating associated risks. P-Pilot(IMSAFE) A-Airplane(required equip, ARROW, AV1ATES) V-enVironment(NWKRAFT) E-External pressures (friends, work, family, etc) I-illness M-medication S-stress A-alcohol F-fatigue E-emotion

what are Pneumatic Boots?

rubber tubes on aircraft edges which inflate to break off ice. Vacuum pump is responsible for inflating the tubes. Although rare, "bridging" can occur, which is where ice forms over the inflated tube making a sort of bridge that additional ice builds up on

what is a convective SIGMET?

severe TS due to: surface winds greater than or equal to 50 knots hail at the surface greater than or equal to 3/4in in diameter tornadoes embedded TS line of TS TS producing precip greater than or equal to heavy precip impacting 40 percent or more of an area at least 3,000 square miles AIM 7-1-5

what is a microburst? what are the two types?

small scale intense downdrafts, when reaching the ground spread outward wet(precipitation is associated) and dry microburst can be a mile long and as strong as 6000ft per min downdrafts AIM 7-1-25

what is the importance of having personnel minimums?

so that I don't have to contemplate between being safe and being legal. Personnel minimums allow me to make sure I stay safe.

difference between route filed and whats put in the GPS?

the route filed is what you filed, not what was given to you by ATC so when you put it in your GPS it's what you were cleared

How do you practice positive exchange of controls?

three point exchange of controls, "your controls, my controls, your controls" important so you know exactly who is flying the plane

what does positive aircraft control mean?

undeniably the sole controller of the aircraft. PIC designation is determined at beginning of flight and or three point exchange of controls

what is wind shear?

unexpected changes in wind speed and direction

what is a pilot report? how is it filed? what information is contained?

weather report submitted by the pilot. routine(UA) and urgent (UUA) submitted by radio through ATC, FSS (including on phone). usually sky cover, weather, temp, wind, turbulence, icing, remarks AIM 7-1-19(20)

should TS be avoided?

yes. by at least 20 miles, hail and turbulence can be experience very far from TS AIM 7-1-28

what is aeronautical decision making (ADM)? what factors are in ADM? what is the DECIDE model? 3P?

ADM is a systematic approach to risk assessment and stress management. factors in ADM could be the severity of the problem like a engine failure at a certain altitude, or a vacuum failure in IMC vs not. DECIDE is to Detect the problem, Estimate the need to react, Choose the desired outcome, Identify the course of action required to reach the outcome, Do the action, Evaluate the effect of your action. The 3Ps are Perceive the problem, Process the impact of flight safety, Perform by implementing the best course of action (PHAK)

how can the aviation training device and flight training device be used for IFR currency?

ATD- 2 calendar months preceding month of flight 3 hours of instrument experience, holding procedures and tasks, six instrument approaches, two unusual attitude recoveries(one if nose down, one nose up), intercepting and tracking FTD-6 calendar months preceding month of flight 6 instrument approaches, HIT FAR 61.57

what instruments are part of the pitot static system?

Airspeed indicator, Altimeter, and VSI

what are the standard alternate minimums?

Alternate with Precision Approach: 600ft ceilings and 2 miles visibility Alternate with Non-Precision Approach: 800ft ceilings and 2 miles visibility Alternate with no Approach: Descent to airport must be made in basic VFR.

what is a AIRMET? 3 types?

An AIRMET advises of weather potentially hazardous to all aircraft but that does not meet SIGMET criteria. Sierra-IFR or mountain obscuration. ceilings less than 1,000ft and visibility less than 3sm impacting over 50% of an area at one time Tango-moderate turbulence, sustained surface winds of greater than 30knots at surface, non-convective low level wind shear Zulu-moderate icing, freezing levels AIM 7-1-5

what is a area forecast (FA)? what info does it contain? what is the validity?

An Area Forecast (FA) is a forecast of Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC), clouds, and general weather conditions over an area the size of several states. Has a header, precautionary statement, synopsis, and VFR clouds and weather. Issued 3 times daily, 12hour forecast, 6hour outlook(totaling 18 hours)

what is a occluded front?

An occlusion occurs when a fast moving cold front catches up with a slow moving warm front. There are two types...

what is a runway incursion? what risk are associated with runway incursions? How do you mitigate risk?

Any occurrence at an aerodrome involving the incorrect presence of an aircraft, vehicle or person on the protected area of a surface designated for the landing and take off of aircraft. collision hazard or loss of separation is a risk. You would be most likely to have a runway incursion getting onto or off a runway. you can mitigate risk by becoming familiar with a airport, communicating, visually scanning, briefing/planning ahead

what is a METAR? what info does it contain? valid time?

Aviation Routine Weather Report. weather analysis at the surface of the airport. in addition to type of report, identifier, date and time/modifier, wind, vis, RVR, weather phenomena, sky conditions, temp/dewpoint, altimeter, remarks. Issued every hour, usually 50ish minutes past the hour, valid until next released report

what different types of anti-ice and de-ice equipment?

De-Ice Pneumatic Boots Electrothermal System Anti-ice Bleed Air Systems Running Wet Systems

what are fuel requirements for IFR flight?

For IFR flight, the aircraft must have enough fuel to fly to destination, then to alternate (if filed), and then fly 45 minutes in cruise configuration

how are TS formed?

For a thunderstorm to form, there must be sufficient moisture, unstable air, and a lifting action. Lifting actions can include fronts, converging winds, troughs, low pressure systems, convective currents (surface heating)... There are three stages to a thunderstorm. Cumulus, mature, and dissipating.

what is the Electrothermal System?

Heats up the surface to above freezing to break bond of ice. Common on propellers, leading edges, and windshields

what is a bleed air system?

Hot air from the engine is funneled through tubes to areas of the aircraft susceptible to icing. This heats up the surface, proving to be effective against icing buildup. It should be noted that this typically reduces engine performance, which is why it is not common on smaller engine aircraft

what is my process for gathering weather data before each flight?

I first get a general look at the weather conditions. I go to weather.com and get a general overview, then go to aviationweather.gov and check airmets, sigmets, convective sigmets, area forecasts, winds aloft, then the prognostic, surface analysis, radar summary, and weather depiction. Then TAF and METAR and top it off with a standard weather briefing from 1-800WXBRIEF

If someone was distracting me, how would I react during a critical phase of flight?

I would simply say as PIC you must be quiet and I need a sterile cockpit environment

what is contained in a position report?

ID Position time altitude type of flight plan ETA and name of next reporting point next reporting point pertinent remarks AIM 5-3-2

why is icing dangerous?

Ice alters the shape of an airfoil, reducing its coefficient of lift, decreasing the AoA at which the plane stalls, increases drag, and increases the overall stall speed. Can spoil smooth air around the wing, especially if it's rime or mixed ice

what is the dissipating stage?

Once the vertical motion at the top of the cloud stops, the top spreads out and forms an anvil shape. This is when the storm is in the dissipating stage, which is identified by both the anvil and predominately downdrafts.

what are the takeoff minimums for part 91, 121, and 135 operations?

Part 91: no takeoff minimums Part 121 and 135: 1sm for two engines or less. 1/2sm for more than two engines

what is single pilot resource management (SRM)? what are onboard resources? Outside resources? How does task management relate to SRM? When is task management most critical?

Single-pilot resource management (SRM) is the art of managing all onboard and outside resources available to a pilot before and during a flight to help ensure a safe and successful outcome. On board resources could be instruments, GPS, iPad, charts. Outside could be visual, ATC, other pilots, weather briefer. Completing your tasks and keeping up with them is important because it makes sure SA is maintained. You have higher workload on approach and departure, unfamiliar airports/approaches, hot spots, high traffic areas

how do you file, open and close IFR flight plan?

Submit a flight plan through Foreflight, 1-800-WXBRIEF, contacting the local flight service station. Open a flight plan by picking up your clearance through clearance delivery or phone call. Flight plan is closed automatically by ATC if at a towered airport. If non-towered, pilot must close plan in the air with ATC or by calling FSS within 5 minutes of landing.

what is a surface analysis chart? Issuance and validity?

Surface Analysis Charts are computer-generated charts with frontal and pressure analysis issued from the Hydro-meteorological Prediction Center (HPC). Issued every 3 hours, and there is a valid time(VT) on the chart of the time of observation and is good till next chart

what is the running wet system?

System which applies chemical agent (typically glycol) to aircraft surface. This agent lowers freezing point of water, and reduces friction between the surfaces

what is a SIGMET?

advises of weather, other than convective activity, that is potentially hazardous to all aircraft. Severe Icing Severe or Extreme Turbulence or clear air turbulence Dust storms and/or sand storms lowering visibilities to less than three (3) miles Volcanic Ash AIM 7-1-5

what is the cumulus stage of TS?

The cumulus stage is primarily identified by updrafts, and clouds growing extensively in height. This lasts about 15 minutes before the mature stage begins.

what is the mature stage of TS?

The mature phase begins when precipitation begins to fall

what do you do if icing is encountered in flight?

activate any de/anti icing equipment you have, and follow emergency checklists. Descend to a lower altitude (that is presumably warmer) if possible. If descending is not an option, turn around and leave the area of moisture. Follow aircraft checklist for icing (Section 3 of Cessna POH)

which performance charts are used for flight planning? where can they be found?

Use Section 5 in Cessna POH for performance planning

what is a warm front?

When a mass of warm air replaces a body of cold air. The warm air slides over the cold air, and gradually pushes it out of the area. Generally has high humidity. As the warm air is lifted, temp drops and condensation occurs. Moves slower than cold fronts, at about 10 to 25 MPH.

what is controlled flight into terrain? (CFIT) what increases the risk of CFIT? what decreases the risk of CFIT?

a aircraft under control is unintentionally flown into terrain. mountain flying, not planning, not checking weather, not reviewing elevations, flying at night. VIS VERSA to counteract and reduce risk

stable vs unstable air

stability is the resistance to vertical motion. stable air: smooth air, poor vis, stratus clouds, steady precip unstable air: turbulent air, good vis, cumulus clouds, showery precip

what is the cold front is faster moving?

steeper frontal slope than usual, narrow band of weather

what are the three common types of icing?

structural:Physical ice buildup on the aircraft surface. Ice will accumulate on narrow surfaces first, making the pitot tube and antennas the first victims of icing instrument:Freezing of the Pitot Tube or Static Ports induction:The most common type of induction icing is carb icing. Our Cessna's don't have carbs, but we can get icing on the engine intake. If this happens, a vacuum is formed. This vacuum forces open an alternate intake within the engine

what conditions are required for icing?

temperatures near freezing because of aerodynamic cooling and visible moisture

what is a instrument proficiency check? (IPC) whats tested in an IPC? Who can give an IPC?

test to make sure an instrument pilot is able to perform instrument procedure. AT LEAST everything in ACS appendix 5. examiner, person authorized by U.S. armed forces and person being tested is a member of U.S. armed forces, company check pilot, authorized instructor, person approved by administrator to conduct IPC FAR 61.57

what are nonstandard takeoff minimums?

the T inside a triangle which you can find in the TPP

how are winds aloft values reported?

the altitude is in MSL, wind direction is true north(two digits) and wind speed is in knots(two digits). if wind is less than 5 knots 9900 is indicated meaning LGT and VAR. if you have a direction not in the 360 realm, subtract 50 and you'll add 100 to speed. No winds forecasted within 1500ft AGL. No temps in 3000ft column and no temps when 2500ft AGL of station. above 24,000ft negative sign is ignored. winds greater than or equal to 200knots is coded 99

requirements for an alternate?

the basic 123 rule. 1 hour before ETA to 1 hour after ceilings can't be less than 2,000ft and visibility 3sm.