Aviation Meteorology

The Atmosphere

• Composition and Structure of Atmosphere
  
  
• Temperature
  - Vertical Distribution of Temperature
  - Transfer of heat : solar and terrestrial radiation, conduction, convection, advection and     turbulence
  - Lapse rate, Stability and Instability
  - Development of inversions, types of inversions
  - Temperature near the earth’s surface, surface effects, diurnal
  - Variation, effect of clouds, effect of wind
  
  
• Atmospheric pressure
  - Barometric Pressure
  - What is Isobars?
  - Pressure variation with height, contours (isohypses)
  - Reduction of pressure to mean sea level, QFF
  - Surface low/upper-air low, surface high/ upper-air high- precipitation
  
  
• Atmospheric density : interrelationship of pressure, temperature and density
  
  
• International Standard Atmosphere (ISA)
  
  
• Altimetry
  - Pressure altitude, true altitude
  - Height, altitude, flight level
  - Altimeter settings: QNH, QFE, 1013.25 hPa
  - Effect of accelerated airflow due to topography
  
  
  

Wind

• Definition and measurement
  
  
• Primary cause of wind
  - Primary cause of wind, pressure gradient, coriolis force, gradient wind
  - relationship between isobars and wind
  
  
• General circulation | Global Climatology : Aviation Meteorology
  - General circulation around the globe
  - Hadley Cell
  - Ferrel Cell
  
  
• Turbulence
  - Turbulence and gustiness, types of turbulence
  - origin and location of turbulence
  
  
• Variation of wind with height
  - variation of wind in the friction layer
  
  
• Local winds: Anabatic and katabatic winds, land and sea breezes, venturi effects
  
  
• Standing waves
  - Origin of standing waves
  
  

Thermodynamics

• Humidity
  - Water vapour in the atmosphere
  - Temperature / Dew point, mixing ratio, Relative Humidity
  
  
  

Cloud and Fogs

• Clouds formation and description
  - Different types of Clouds
  - Influence of inversions on cloud development
  
  
• Fog, mist, haze
  - Radiation fog
  - Advection fog
  - Steam fog
  - Frontal fog
  - Orographic fog
  
  

Precipitation

• Development of precipitation
  - Development of precipitation
  - Types of precipitation
  - Type of precipitation, relationship with cloud types
  
  

Airmass and Fronts

• Types of Airmass
  - Factors affecting the properties of an Airmass
  - Classification of Airmass, modifications of airmass, areas of origin
  
  
• Fronts
  - Boundaries between airmasses (fronts), general situation, geographic differentiation
  - Warm front : Associated clouds and weather
  - Cold front : associated clouds and weather
  - Warm sector, associated clouds and weather
  - Weather behind the cold front
  - Occlusions, associated clouds and weather
  - Stationary front, associated clouds and weather
  - Movement of fronts and pressure systems, life cycle

Pressure Systems

• Location of the principal pressure areas
• Anticyclone: Anticyclones, types, general properties, cold and warm anticyclones, ridges and wedges, subsidence
• Non frontal depressions
  - Thermal, orographic – and secondary depressions, cold air pools, trough
• Tropical revolving storms
  
  

Indian Climatology

• Typical weather situations in mid-latitudes
  - Westerly waves
  - High pressure area
  - Uniform pressure pattern
• Local seasonal weather and wind
  - SE & NE Monsoon, Pre-Monsoon, Northwesters, Kalbaisakhi
  - Western Disturbance
• Effect of Indian Climatology on Aviation and Flights
  - Headwind / Tailwind / Crosswind components during flight as a result of pressure systems across India.
  
  

Flight Hazards

• Icing
  - Weather conditions for ice accretion, topographical effects
  
  
• Turbulence
  - Effects on flight, avoidance
  
  
• Windshear
  - Definition of windshear
  - Weather conditions for windshear
  - effects on flight
  
  
• Thunderstorms
  - Structure of thunderstorms, squall lines, life history, storm cells, electricity in the atmosphere, static charges
  - Conditions for and process of development, forecast,location, type specification
  - Thunderstorm avoidance, ground/airborne radar, stormscope
  - Development and effect of down bursts
  - Development of lightning discharge and effect of lightningstrike on aircraft and flight execution
  
  
• Low and high level inversions: Influence on aircraft performance
  
  
• Hazards in mountainous areas
  - Influence of terrain on clouds and precipitation, frontal passage
  - Vertical movements, mountain waves, windshear,turbulence, ice accretion
  - Development and effect of valley inversions
  
  
• Visibility reducing phenomena
  - Reduction of visibility caused by mist, smoke, dust, sand and precipitation
  - Reduction of visibility caused by low drifting and blowingsnow
  
  

Meteorological Information

• Observation
  - On the ground – surface wind, visibility and runway visual range, transmissometers; Clouds – Type, amount, height of base and tops, movement; Weather – including all types of precipitation, air temperature, relative humidity, dew point, atmospheric pressure
  - Aircraft observations and reporting, data link systems, PIREPS
  
  
• Weather Charts
  - Significant weather charts
  - Surface charts
  - Upper air charts
  - Symbols and signs on analysed and prognostic charts
  
  
• Information for Flight Planning
  - Aeronautical codes: METAR, TAF, SPECI, SIGMET, SNOWTAM, runway report
  - Meteorological broadcasts for aviation: VOLMET, ATIS, HFVOLMET, ACARS
  - Content and use of pre-flight meteorological documents
  - Meteorological briefing and advice
  -measuring and warning systems for low level windshear, inversion layer
  - Special Meteorological Warnings

Please NOTE : Above mentioned syllabus is published syllabus for DGCA Exams (Airplane Flight Crew).
CNTAA courses cover this syllabus + most updated syllabus requirements with respect to questions asked in the recent DGCA Exams.

Aim of courses on CNTAA Training Platform is for aspiring pilot to understand concepts precisely and pass the DGCA Exams with extraordinary results.