AIRCRAFT DISPATCHER FINAL EXAM
SCRIPT COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE
QUESTIONS WITH ACCURATE SOLUTIONS
●● What is a SPECI?
Answer: A special METAR which is created in between the hourly
METARs due to a change in weather necessitating the change.
-Change of winds necessitating a new runway.
-WX changing from IFR to VFR or VFR to IFR.
●● Do METARs describe actual or forecast conditions?
Answer: METARs depict actual field conditions.
●● Define Radiation fog
Answer: Shallow fog, ground fog. occurs on clear nights, little or no
wind, and small temp/DP spread (high relative humidity). Occurs at
night or daybreak. Radiation cools the ground. The ground cools the air.
When the air is cooled to the dew-point, fog forms.
●● Define Advection fog
Answer: This fog forms when moist air moves over colder ground or
water. Common along the coast.
,●● What is lake effect? Describe one major consequence of lake effect
in winter.
Answer: Air moving across a sizeable lake absorbs water vapor.
Showers may appear on the leeward side if the air is colder than the
water. If the air is warmer than the water, fog often develops on the
leeward side. In the winter, lake effect snow is a concern because as a
cold front passes over the warmer lake water, snow, instead of showers
will occur.
●● What happens when the Temperature/dewpoint are very close?
Answer: Small Temp/DP spread is essential to the formation of fog.
●● How often are TAFs issued?
Answer: Valid for a 24-hour period, TAFs are issued four times daily at
00Z, 06Z, 12Z, and 18Z, and updated as conditions warrant. TAFs
include information about wind speed and direction, visibility, present
weather, ceilings, and low-level wind shear.
●● Why is it important to know when the various charts and reports are
issued?
Answer: Because you always need to use the most up to date
information and knowing when the next forecast is coming up is
essential for making critcal flight decisions. For instance, if it is 05:55Z,
the TAF from 00Z is the most up-to-date forecast, however, in only 5
minutes, the 06Z TAF will be the most up-to-date forecast and could
contain critical information.
,●● What is an Amended TAF?
Answer: An amended TAF is issued when the current TAF no longer
adequately describes the ongoing weather or the forecaster feels the TAF
is not representative of the current or expected weather.
●● Which sky conditions are considered a ceiling?
Answer: Broken, Overcast, VV (vertical visibility[indefinite ceiling])
●● How often is a surface analysis chart issued?
Answer: starting at 00Z at 3 hour intervals. (8 times a day)
●● What are the primary features of a surface analysis chart?
Answer: They show pressure patterns, fronts, and information on
individual reporting stations. The pressure patterns are shown by isobars.
Isobars
Pressure Systems
Fronts
Troughs and Ridges
Station Models
●● How is a surface analysis chart used?
, Answer: It is used to determine sky cover, the types of clouds. SLP,
pressure change, precip, temp/dew point, present wx, wind. They can be
used to locate the jetstream, turbulence, and wind shear.
●● What is the relationship between isobars and surface winds?
Answer: The closer the isobars are together, the stronger the winds will
be.
●● How often is a Weather depiction chart issued?
Answer: Every 3 hours starting at 01Z
●● What is a weather depiction chart?
Answer: A weather chart to be used for flight planning by giving an
overall picture of the WX across the US.
SCRIPT COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE
QUESTIONS WITH ACCURATE SOLUTIONS
●● What is a SPECI?
Answer: A special METAR which is created in between the hourly
METARs due to a change in weather necessitating the change.
-Change of winds necessitating a new runway.
-WX changing from IFR to VFR or VFR to IFR.
●● Do METARs describe actual or forecast conditions?
Answer: METARs depict actual field conditions.
●● Define Radiation fog
Answer: Shallow fog, ground fog. occurs on clear nights, little or no
wind, and small temp/DP spread (high relative humidity). Occurs at
night or daybreak. Radiation cools the ground. The ground cools the air.
When the air is cooled to the dew-point, fog forms.
●● Define Advection fog
Answer: This fog forms when moist air moves over colder ground or
water. Common along the coast.
,●● What is lake effect? Describe one major consequence of lake effect
in winter.
Answer: Air moving across a sizeable lake absorbs water vapor.
Showers may appear on the leeward side if the air is colder than the
water. If the air is warmer than the water, fog often develops on the
leeward side. In the winter, lake effect snow is a concern because as a
cold front passes over the warmer lake water, snow, instead of showers
will occur.
●● What happens when the Temperature/dewpoint are very close?
Answer: Small Temp/DP spread is essential to the formation of fog.
●● How often are TAFs issued?
Answer: Valid for a 24-hour period, TAFs are issued four times daily at
00Z, 06Z, 12Z, and 18Z, and updated as conditions warrant. TAFs
include information about wind speed and direction, visibility, present
weather, ceilings, and low-level wind shear.
●● Why is it important to know when the various charts and reports are
issued?
Answer: Because you always need to use the most up to date
information and knowing when the next forecast is coming up is
essential for making critcal flight decisions. For instance, if it is 05:55Z,
the TAF from 00Z is the most up-to-date forecast, however, in only 5
minutes, the 06Z TAF will be the most up-to-date forecast and could
contain critical information.
,●● What is an Amended TAF?
Answer: An amended TAF is issued when the current TAF no longer
adequately describes the ongoing weather or the forecaster feels the TAF
is not representative of the current or expected weather.
●● Which sky conditions are considered a ceiling?
Answer: Broken, Overcast, VV (vertical visibility[indefinite ceiling])
●● How often is a surface analysis chart issued?
Answer: starting at 00Z at 3 hour intervals. (8 times a day)
●● What are the primary features of a surface analysis chart?
Answer: They show pressure patterns, fronts, and information on
individual reporting stations. The pressure patterns are shown by isobars.
Isobars
Pressure Systems
Fronts
Troughs and Ridges
Station Models
●● How is a surface analysis chart used?
, Answer: It is used to determine sky cover, the types of clouds. SLP,
pressure change, precip, temp/dew point, present wx, wind. They can be
used to locate the jetstream, turbulence, and wind shear.
●● What is the relationship between isobars and surface winds?
Answer: The closer the isobars are together, the stronger the winds will
be.
●● How often is a Weather depiction chart issued?
Answer: Every 3 hours starting at 01Z
●● What is a weather depiction chart?
Answer: A weather chart to be used for flight planning by giving an
overall picture of the WX across the US.
