METEOROLOGY

050 – METEOROLOGY

PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 INTRODUCTION

AVIATION METEOROLOGY

• Atmosphere
• Altimetry
• Clouds
• Flight hazards
• Meteorological Information

2 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 THE ATMOSPHERE
The atmosphere is a mixture of gases that surrounds the planet.

Composition of the Air :

Nitrogen 78%
Oxygen 21%
Other gases 1%

Water vapour is the most important gas in the atmosphere

for weather phenomenons.

3 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 THE ATMOSPHERE
Atmospheric Layers

• The atmosphere is layered , corresponding with how the atmosphere’s temperature changes with altitude.
• Most of the important processes of the atmosphere take place in the lowest layer: troposphere

4 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 THE ATMOSPHERE

• The lowest layer of the earth’s atmosphere.

• Consists of ¾ of the total atmosphere in weight.
• Contains almost all the weather.
• Temperature decreases with an increase in height.

TROPOPAUSE

• The upper boundary of the

troposphere.

• It separates the troposphere

from the stratosphere.

• Temperature ceases to fall

with an increase in height
and stays constant.

5 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 THE ATMOSPHERE

thickness of the
troposphere
=
height of the
tropopause

Polar Equator Mid Latitude

Height of the Tropopause 7 - 8 km 16 – 18 km 11 km

Temperature of the Tropopause - 40 / - 45 °C - 70 / - 75 °C - 56.5 °C

6 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 THE ATMOSPHERE

The Significance of Tropopause Height

• maximum height of significant cloud

• presence of jet streams (the maximum wind speed)

• presence of Clear Air Turbulence ‘ CAT ’

shorter travel times , fuel saving

• upper limit of most of the weather

7 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 THE ATMOSPHERE

Gravity pulls more air molecules

toward the center of the planet

PRESSURE DENSITY TEMPERATURE

8 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 THE ATMOSPHERE

Pressure : 500 hpa

18.000 ft
Temperature : - 21 C

Pressure : 1013 hpa

Temperature : + 15 C

Mean Sea Level

• Pressure
• Temperature decrease with height
• Density

9 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 THE ATMOSPHERE
The International Standard Atmosphere (ISA)

The conditions of the atmosphere are constantly changing.

In aviation, it is necessary to have a standard set of conditions to give a common datum for :

• The calibration of aircraft pressure instruments

• The design and testing of aircraft

ISA Conditions :

• MSL temperature of +15° Celsius

• MSL pressure of 1013.25 hectopascals (hPa=mb)
• MSL density of 1225 grams / cubic metre
• Temperature lapse rate of 0.65°C/100 m (1.98°C/1000 ft) up to 11 km (36090 ft)
• Constant temperature of -56.5°C between 11 km (36090 ft) and 20 km (65617 ft)

10 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 THE ATMOSPHERE

 It is important to know how the atmosphere differs from ISA at particular time.
 It is used in performance calculations and in correcting for instrument errors.

ISA deviation is the difference between the ISA temperature and the actual temperature.

ISA Deviation = Actual temperature - ISA temperature

Height Temperature ISA Temperature ISA Deviation

5000 Ft + 15 C
30 000 Ft - 50 C
57 000 Ft - 68 C

11 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 ALTIMETRY
HOW DOES AN ALTIMETER WORK ?

Instrument used to measure the vertical distance

between the aircraft and a reference level.

12 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 ALTIMETRY
The purpose of Altimeter

1. Provides an approximate indication of altitude to avoid terrain and obstacles.

2. Provides a system to coordinate and maintain separation with other aircrafts.

13 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 ALTIMETRY

14 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 ALTIMETRY
10000 ft

1000 ft

100 ft

1000 Ft + 400 Ft 10000 Ft + 2000 Ft

1400 Ft 12000 Ft

15 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 ALTIMETRY

Height : Vertical distance of a level or point measured above aerodrome surface.

Altitude : Vertical distance of a level or point measured above mean sea level.
Elevation : Vertical distance of a fixed object above mean sea level.

16 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 ALTIMETRY

ALTIMETER SETTING
QFE Airfield pressure
QNH Airfield pressure converted to MSL in accordance with the ISA
QFF Airfield pressure converted to MSL in accordance with the actual meteorological conditions
QNE Standard Pressure ( 29.92 InHg / 1013 mb )

17 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 ALTIMETRY

QFE is set on the ground altimeter reading

A
on the altimeter ( after landing ) zero Ft

altimeter
QFE is set above the aerodrome
B reading
on the altimeter (before landing)
height

18 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 ALTIMETRY

QNH is set on the ground altimeter reading

C
on the altimeter ( after landing ) elevation

altimeter
QNH is set above the aerodrome
D reading
on the altimeter (before landing)
altitude

19 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 ALTIMETRY

FL 300 Flight Level FL 450 Flight Level

30 . 000 Ft FL 45 . 000 Ft FL

1013 hpa

QNH = 1030 hpa QNH = 1000 hpa

1013 hpa

Set the aircraft’s altimeter to 1013 hPa , the altimeter will indicate pressure altitude or Flight Level.

20 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 CLOUDS
Water Water Ice
Condensation Freezing
Vapour Droplet Crystal

Clouds are formed by the condensation of water vapour into water droplets or ice crystals.

21 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 CLOUDS

Clouds may be regarded as signals in the sky giving us warning of

• what the weather is
• what it is likely to be

They are also a source of several hazards to aviation:

• Turbulence
• Poor visibility
• Precipitation
• Icing
• Lightning

22 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 CLOUDS

CLOUD CLASSIFICATION

SHAPE Stratiform Clouds Cumuliform Clouds Cirriform Clouds

large horizontal extent large vertical extent wispy

HEIGHT Low Level Middle Level High Level

23 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 CLOUDS

Tropopause

23 . 000 ft

7 . 000 ft

24 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 CLOUDS
Cloud coverage is reported in the METAR using the following three-letter codes:

• SKY CLEAR (SKC) cloudless (0/8)

• FEW (FEW) one to two eighths of cloud coverage (1/8 - 2/8)
• SCATTERED (SCT) three to four eighths of cloud coverage (3/8 - 4/8)
• BROKEN (BKN) five to seven eighths of cloud coverage (5/8 - 6/8 - 7/8)
• OVERCAST (OVC) complete cloud coverage (8/8)

FEW006 SCT012 BKN065 OVC100

600 Feet – Few

1200 Feet – Scattered
6500 Feet – Broken
10.000 Feet – Overcast

25 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 CLOUDS
Cloud Ceiling :
The height of the lowest layer of clouds above the surface that cover more than half of the sky
that are either broken or overcast.

Visual Flight Rules (VFR) are a set of regulations under which a pilot operates an aircraft in weather
conditions generally clear enough to allow the pilot to see where the aircraft is going. Using the VFR flight
rules, the pilot must be able to operate the aircraft with visual reference to the ground, and by visually
avoiding obstructions and other aircraft

VFR flights shall not take off or land at an aerodrome within a control zone, or enter the
aerodrome traffic zone or traffic pattern:

• when the ceiling is less than 450 m (1 500 ft)

• when the ground visibility is less than 5 km

26 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 CLOUDS

27 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 CLOUDS
SCWD
Ice Crystal -26 ° C Super Cooled
-18 ° C Water Droplet
-10 ° C
-2 ° C 0°C
0°C
+4 ° C
+6 ° C
+10 ° C
Water
Droplet

Clouds may be regarded as signals in the sky giving us warning of

what the weather is or what it is likely to be

They are also a source of several hazards to aviation:

• Turbulence
• Poor visibility
• Precipitation
• Icing
• Lightning

28 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 FLIGHT HAZARDS
Turbulence

Low Visibility Icing

Flight
Hazards
CB
Precipitation &
Thunderstorm

Windshear
Lightning &
Microburst

29 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 TURBULENCE

30 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 ICING

• loss of aircraft performance

• large increase in fuel consumption
• some difficulty with aircraft control

Supercooled water droplet ( SCWD ) is a droplet

of water still in the liquid state although its
temperature is below 0°C.

Supercooled water droplets can exist in clouds

at temperatures as low as -40°C.

31 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 ICING

The degree of airframe icing is classed as light , moderate , severe

TYPE INTENSITY DETAIL

CLEAR ICE MODERATE / HEAVY Cumuliform Cloud

RIME ICE LIGHT Stratiform Cloud

32 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 CB & THUNDERSTORM (TS)
Thunderstorm ; phenomena such as strong winds, hail, lightning, turbulence, tornadoes, ice
formation and heavy showery rain can be seen.

Thunder comes from lightning, so all thunderstorms have lightning.

All of these phenomena are associated with a Cumulonimbus cloud (CB).

Required Conditions for CB :

• Unstable Atmosphere
• Humidity
• Trigger Action

33 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 LIGHTNING

Lightning is the occurrence of a natural electrical

discharge of very short duration and high voltage
between a cloud and the ground or within a cloud.

This violent and sudden electrostatic discharge is

accompanied by a bright flash and typically also
thunder.

34 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 PRECIPITATION

Rain Snow Hail

35 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 MICROBURST

Microbursts are strong downdraughts of air

that descend from the centre of CB clouds
with speeds.

As the downdraughts approach the ground,

the air splays out in all directions.
B
A C

Aircraft approaching the CB , it experiences :

• initially , strong headwind - A
• then , downdraught - B
• followed by a tailwind - C

36 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 WINDSHEAR
Windshear is the sudden change in speed and/or direction of the wind.
Wind shear can occur at any altitude, but it's most dangerous at low altitudes during takeoff or landing.

Vertical Windshear Horizontal Windshear

Vertical windshear is change in wind Horizontal windshear is change in wind

velocity with height velocity with horizontal distance

37 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 LOW VISIBILITY

Visibility is a measure of atmospheric clarity, or obscurity

This can be caused by water droplets cloud, fog, rain or solid particles sand, dust

Fog : There is fog , if the visibility is less than 1000 m

38 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 METEOROLOGICAL INFO
Where
What When Wind Visibility RVR
(Report type) (Location (Date/Time) (Runway Visual Range)
Code)

METAR LTBU 191020Z 27012G25KT 6000 R23/P1500

METereological
Aerodrome Report
METAR is a report which
gives information for
reporting time and is
published every half an
hour.
SPECI is published for
special change
Publication time From 270 degree True
19th of the month Direction
10:20 Z
Average wind speed 12kt
Gust speed 25kt
(average wind speeds of the
last 10 minutes)
Gust is reported if 10 kt faster Different directions can be given:
than average speed
P99 = plus 99kt
If direction changes; variable
240V300
Meteorological vis. 6000m
Horizontal distances in meter
9999 = 10km+
1400SW 6000N
RVR for runway 23 = plus 1500 m NOT visibility for runway!
Value representative of the touchdown zone
RVR is reported when Meteorological Visibility less than
1500 m, but RVR value can be equal plus 1500 Generally:
visibility less than RVR
0800U tendency of the increase in the last 10 minutes
“Up”
0800D tendency of the decrease in the last 10 minutes
«decrease»

0800N in the last 10 minutes “No change”

00000KT = calm

39 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021

Cloud
Present Weather
+ SH RA FEW006 SCT012 BKN025 OVC100
heavy rain showers At 600 ft 1-2 oktas
At 1200 ft 3-4 oktas
At 2500 ft 5-7 oktas
At 10000 ft 8 oktas
Above Airfield Level (AAL) SKC – Sky
Clear
ETEOROLOGICAL INFO
QNH
Vertical Visibility Temperature/Dewpoint Recent Weather
VV/// 10/M02 Q0991 RETS
REcently Thunderstorm
Vert Vis. unmeasureable Temperature 10, Dewpoint -2 QNH 991 hPa rounded
What was there in the last
VV002 - 200 ft METAR?
down for
safety
Vertical distances in ft
Fog / heavy precipitation are
reported if there are.
40 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021
 METEOROLOGICAL INFO

41 PRT-050-01/REV.1 - 02.08.2021