Aviation Weather Hazards
Instructor(s)
Description
Examines the key weather hazards that affect all of aviation and provides an in-depth understanding of the most serious aviation weather hazards faced by all aspects of aviation. Materials and instruction are designed to provide enough depth to enable pilots to make preflight and in-flight weather-related decisions intelligently. Designed to provide flight test and design engineers the basic information necessary to consider weather factors when designing aircraft and aircraft components. Flight dispatchers also will gain an insight into aviation weather hazards, which should substantially enhance their ability to make weather-related decisions. Course materials are also designed to be used by RPV designers and operators to better deal with weather as it affects these vehicles. New weather data, products, and information sources will be discussed.
Target Audience
Designed for pilots, test pilots, meteorologists, flight test engineers, design engineers, dispatchers, RPV designers and operators, government and research laboratory personnel, and educators.
Fee Includes
Includes instruction, course notebook, refreshments and four lunches. The course notes are for participants only and not for sale.
Fees: See fee information for individual classes in the registration column on the right side of this page.
Class Time
28 hours • 2.8 CEUs
Course Outline
Day One
- Thunderstorms and strong convective clouds: basic conceptual models, single-cell storms, multi-cell storms, and line storms
- Stability and instability, storm tops and vertical motion
- Turbulence: causes and results, intensity, tornadoes
- Lightning: causes and results, composite aircraft, lightning detection networks
- Heavy rain: raindrops and drop sizes, precipitation intensity, effects on performance
- Radar: airborne weather radar, WSR-88D (NEXRAD), Stormscope
- Hail: mechanisms to develop hail, visual and radar detection
Day Two
- Windshear: physics of microbursts, stability and instability, precipitation loading, evaporation, dry and wet microbursts
- Gust fronts: thunderstorm generated, cold fronts, structure
- Windshear training aid: detection signals, flight crew actions
- Clear air turbulence: jet stream, thunderstorm wake, instability, waves, deformation zones
- Detection Systems: Terminal Doppler Weather Radar, Low-Level Windshear Alert Systems, airborne forward-look systems, airborne in situ systems, integrated terminal weather information system
- Accidents: discussion of key accidents
Day Three
- Basic icing physics: supercooled liquid water content, droplet sizes, temperature
- Intensity and character: light, moderate, and severe; continuous and intermittent; collection efficiency; rime, clear and mixed
- Icing forecasts: NWS forecasts; experimental forecasts; cloud type forecasts, cumuliform (max intermittent) and stratiform (max continuous); orographic influence
- Aircraft performance effects: de-iced and anti-iced aircraft; unprotected components; lift, drag, weight, and climb considerations; pilot action considerations
- Icing sensors, in situ, remote, passive
- Detailed sensors for certification: supercooled liquid water content, droplet sizes, temperature
- How to find and/or avoid icing conditions
Day Four
- Mountain weather: differential heating, mountain and valley winds, channeling winds, thunderstorms, waves, rotors, density altitude
- Low ceiling and visibility: fog, various types; snow, rain; low ceilings; conditional forecasts, chance and occasional
- Weather related accident statistics: problem areas, NTSB and AOPA statistics, specific accident discussions
- New systems: ASOS, GOES, ADDS, AFSS, data link, rapid update cycle, new display and depiction concepts, air traffic controller weather, others
- Review and questions
Comments from Past Participants
"Wayne uses his extensive real-world experience to portray aviation weather applications to a variety of professionals." — Past Attendee, The Boeing Company
How You May Benefit
- Understand the basics of key aviation weather hazard phenomena, including thunderstorms and associated hazards (lightning, hail, etc.), icing (in-flight and ground), windshear (gust fronts and microbursts), turbulence (clear air, instability and mountain-generated), mountain weather, visibility, and low ceilings.
- Learn how new weather sensors change the way aviation variables are measured, which new variables are being measured and how to interpret these new data.
- Gain the tools to better understand weather phenomena, fly in and around these phenomena, design aircraft to cope with weather hazards, design and operate RPVs in or around weather hazards, and test to ensure that design criteria are met.
- Learn about scientific advancements in the field, including new aviation weather display products and improvements in dissemination.
- Use the information gained in this course to incorporate critical aviation weather hazard phenomena into your particular aviation application.
Dates and Locations
This course is available for on-site presentation.
Please contact Zach Gredlics
at 785-864-1066
or aerosite@ku.edu for more information.
For Course Information
Contact Kim Hunsinger
at 785-864-4758
or use the button below:
On-Site Course Information
Find out how courses
can be tailored to
your company’s needs.
Contact Zach Gredlics
at 785-864-1066
or use the button below:
Registration Information
Mail
Aerospace Short Courses
The University of Kansas
Continuing Education
Registrations
1515 St. Andrews Drive
Lawrence, KS 66047-1619
Phone
Toll-free 877-404-5823
or 785-864-5823
Fax
785-864-4871
TDD
800-766-3777
E-mail
kuce@ku.edu
