[Update: In December 2022, the FAA published the Aviation Weather Handbook (FAA-H-8083-28) which replaced Advisory Circulars 00-6 and 00-45.]
Today I would like to discuss weather, specifically the all-important topics of Galactic Cosmic Radiation and Solar Eruptive Activity. Wait, say what? That’s what I thought when reviewing
…[Update: In December 2022, the FAA published the Aviation Weather Handbook (FAA-H-8083-28) which replaced Advisory Circulars 00-6 and 00-45.]
For the first time since 1975, the FAA has updated Aviation Weather (AC 00-6B replacing AC 00-6A). A lot has changed since then in our understanding of meteorology and in
…Wind shear is defined as a change in wind direction and/or speed over a very short distance in the atmosphere. This can occur at any level of the atmosphere and can be detected by the pilot as a sudden change in airspeed. As a pilot you can be certain that
…Wind shear is a sudden, drastic change in wind speed and/or direction over a very small area. Wind shear can subject an aircraft to violent updrafts and downdrafts, as well as abrupt changes to the horizontal movement of the aircraft. Today, we’ll go over the basics of this common weather
…As we’ve talked about before, being aware of the weather at takeoff, at your destination, and en route is a key part of flight planning and flying safety. By now you know which models to check before you leave, but an understanding of the basic elements of weather and
…This week: turbulence. Some degree of turbulence is almost always present in the atmosphere and pilots quickly become accustomed to slight turbulence. Moderate or severe turbulence, however, is uncomfortable and can even overstress the airplane. Today we’ll talk about its causes and share some best-practices when encountering turbulence. Words and
…Fog, just like clouds, is formed when invisible water vapor in the atmosphere condenses in the air into visible water droplets. You can best think of fog as simply a cloud that reaches the ground. As a pilot you are bound to encounter fog at some point, probably sooner than
…Out here in the Pacific Northwest, we’re used to what’s generally characterized as “bad” weather. And since we’re setting regional rainfall records right now, let’s talk about weather. Specifically, fronts.
As an air mass moves across bodies of water and land, it eventually comes into contact with another air mass
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