Flight Environment

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FAQ

Flight Environment

The atmosphere/flight environment is forever in a state of constant physical change, giving rise to weather conditions which vary throughout the range of an extremely large scale. The airman not only lives at the base of this sea of air, but navigates and flies through it. The weather, therefore, is a matter of vital concern to him, particularly conditions such as fog, ice formation, thunderstorms line squalls, all of which presents particularly unusual hazards to flying.

To minimize the hazards to air navigation that are constantly being manufactured in the so-called weather factory, a vast world-wide meteorological organization has been built up, to collect, analyze and broadcast information relative to the ever changing flight environment or the upper air.

The pilot can today avail himself of last minute weather reports and forecasts along all the regularly established air routes. In addition, he can secure much valuable weather data with reference to areas located off the organized airways. He must, however, possess sufficient and adequate weather sense, to be able to size up and deal with sudden changing conditions which may be encountered at any stage during flight. The brief notes which follow are intended to cover the highlights of the subject only. The student of aviation will be well advised to include meteorology among the subjects marked for further detailed study and read some of the excellent manuals which are available on the subject.

Sections in this chapter:

	Atmosphere, Pressure, and Forces Properties of the Atmosphere Pressure Coriolis Force Surface Friction Centrifugal Force Convergence and Divergence
	Clouds Classification of Clouds Clouds, Precipitation, and Fog Thunderstorms
	Thunderstorm Hazards Dangers of Flying in Thunderstorms St. Elmo's Fire Thunderstorm Avoidance Icing Turbulence
	Hemispheric Prevailing Winds Upper Level Winds Surface Winds Land and Sea Breezes Mountain Winds Mountain Waves Jet Stream
	Humidity, Temperature, and Stability How the Atmosphere is Heated Temperature Scales Isotherms Density and Temperature How the Atmosphere is Cooled Inversions and Isothermal Layers Stability
	Fronts Polar Front Development of a Frontal Depression Types of Fronts Weather at the Cold Front Weather at the Warm Front Weather at Trowals and Upper Fronts
	Ceiling and Visibility Ceiling Classifications of Visibility VMC and IMC

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Updated: 12 March, 2004