Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Weather Information Lesson Plan

Commercial Pilot (Airplane) • ACS Area I, Task C

The Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Weather Information Lesson Plan covers the knowledge, risk management, and skills associated with weather information for a flight under VFR.

Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Weather Information Lesson Plan

Introduction

  • Schedule

    Topic:
    Time:
    Attention/Motivator:
    0:05
    Part 1, Lesson Introduction:
    0:05
    Part 2, Atmospheric Conditions:
    0:20
    Part 3, Weather Products:
    1:15
    Part 4, Weather Information Guided Scenario(s):
    0:20
    Part 5, Lesson Conclusion:
    0:05
    Remotivation/Closure:
    0:05
    Total Ground Time:
    0:00

  • Attention Getter:

  • Motivator:

    • Regardless of your experience level, weather is likely to be a key factor in your decision-making process
    • A pilot's ability to find and interpret weather is essential to make well-informed decisions
      • Failure to recognize deteriorating weather conditions leads to a exceptionally high mishap and associated lethality rate
    • Weather service to aviation is a joint effort between federal agencies, the military weather services, and other aviation-oriented groups and individuals
    • The National Weather Service operates a network of radar sites for detecting coverage, intensity, and movement of precipitation
      • FAA and DOD radar sites in the western sections of the country supplement the network
      • Local warning radar sites augment the network by operating on an as-needed basis to support warning and forecast programs

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Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Weather Information Lesson Plan

Materials

Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Weather Information Lesson Plan

Instructor Actions

  • Shared foundation objectives for commercial operations:

    Use oral questions, scenario decisions, and aircraft-specific walkthroughs to verify the objectives below. Apply the current Commercial Pilot Airplane ACS and aircraft limitations; this review does not replace commercial maneuver standards or instructor assessment.

    • CA.I.C.K1: Identify flight service role and self briefing alternatives.
    • CA.I.C.K2a: Interpret metar visibility units.
    • CA.I.C.K2a: Decode metar precipitation begin end remarks.
    • CA.I.C.K2a: Define aviation ceiling.
    • CA.I.C.K2a: Distinguish true metar wind from magnetic runway reference.
    • CA.I.C.K2b: Identify lifr thresholds.
    • CA.I.C.K2b: Identify mvfr reporting category.
    • CA.I.C.K2b: Identify vfr reporting category.
    • CA.I.C.K2c: Interpret taf cloud base and ceiling.
    • CA.I.C.K2c: Identify taf for terminal forecast.
    • CA.I.C.K2c: Use taf for destination eta.
    • CA.I.C.K2d: Identify gfa as conus fa replacement.
    • CA.I.C.K2d: Identify aviation surface cloud forecast times.
    • CA.I.C.K2d: Interpret aviation cloud forecast heights.
    • CA.I.C.K2e: Identify winds aloft omission thresholds.
    • CA.I.C.K2e: Decode winds aloft wind groups.
    • CA.I.C.K2g: Identify airmet tango surface wind criterion.
    • CA.I.C.K3f: Identify low cloud base altitude range.
    • CA.I.C.K3f: Identify middle cloud base altitude range.
    • CA.I.C.K3f: Identify high cloud base altitude range.
    • CA.I.C.K3i: Identify clear ice favorable conditions.
    • CA.I.C.K3i: Explain rime ice formation.
    • CA.I.C.K3i: Explain clear ice formation.
  • Before the lesson, review reference materials.
  • Part 1, Lesson Introduction:
  • Part 2, Atmospheric Conditions:
  • Part 3, Weather Products:
  • Part 4, Weather Information Guided Scenario
    • Lead a guided scenario.
    • Complete a personal weather minimums worksheet. (CA.I.C.R1b)
    • Present circumstances that make diversion prudent and require the learner to establish diversion criteria before departure. (CA.I.C.R1a)
    • Conduct an adequate weather self-briefing using available aviation weather resources. (CA.I.C.S1)
      • Call flight service and request a briefing for a cross-country flight, real or for practice
      • Use guided questioning to have the learner explain and apply advantages and disadvantages of each product
    • Interpret flight-deck displays of digital weather and aeronautical information while distinguishing product age, source, update interval, latency, resolution, and strategic-use limitations. (CA.I.C.K4)
    • Using actual or evaluator-provided weather, require the learner to analyze the operational implications of at least three conditions from CA.I.C.K3a through CA.I.C.K3l. (CA.I.C.S2)
    • Use retrieval questioning to have the learner explain the use and limitations of installed onboard weather equipment, aviation weather reports and forecasts, and inflight weather resources; explain why no single source provides a complete tactical weather picture. (CA.I.C.R2, CA.I.C.R2a, CA.I.C.R2b, CA.I.C.R2c)
    • Present known or forecast icing, turbulence aloft, or other hazardous weather along the proposed route and require the learner to identify avoidance, delay, diversion, or cancellation criteria. (CA.I.C.R1c)
    • Correlate the complete weather picture, aircraft capability, personal minimums, alternates, and escape options to make and defend a go/no-go decision. (CA.I.C.S3)
  • Part 5, Lesson Conclusion:
    • Tie lesson back to previous lessons to reinforce past experiences (law of readiness).
    • Present the remotivation, conclude, and provide guidance for follow-on lessons.
    • Review student actions required ahead of the next lesson.
  • Update instructor endorsement records and the student's jacket, as required.
Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Weather Information Lesson Plan

Guided Scenario(s)

  • In the climb on a cold day, a pilot enters the clouds and simultaneously notices the outside air temperature is 10°c
    • How can the pilot check the outside air temperature?
    • If in meteorological conditions, is icing a hazard?
  • With the previous METAR/SPECI reports:
    • What does the wind information tell us (tie to airport diagrams, takeoff performance, etc.)?
    • What does the visibility tell us?
    • What does the present weather tell us?
    • What does the sky condition tell us?
    • What does the temperature/dewpoint tell us (tie to density altitude, hazards, etc.)?
    • What do the remarks tell us?
  • ATC (Air Traffic Control) provides a PIREP (Pilot Weather Report) to a pilot about to enter the same area
    • What is the pilot required to do?
    • What can the pilot decide to do?
  • A pilot is planning a cross-country flight, for what reasons would they want to review AIRMETs (Airmen's Meteorological Information)/SIGMETs (Significant Meteorological Information)?
    • How does it affect preflight planning?
  • A pilot is planning a local flight, for what reasons would they want to use a surface analysis chart?
    • How does it affect preflight planning?
    • What are the types of airmasses and fronts depicted?
    • What kind of weather would be expected in those frontal areas?
  • A pilot is planning a local flight, for what reasons would they want to use a convective outlook?
    • How does it affect preflight planning?
  • With the previous TAF reports:
    • What does the wind information tell us (tie to weather enroute limitations, etc.)?
    • What does the visibility tell us?
    • What does the present weather tell us?
    • What does the sky condition tell us?
    • What does the temperature/dewpoint tell us (tie to density altitude, hazards, etc.)?
    • What does "FM" or "BECMG" tell us?
  • Provided a route of flight that passes near (3) stations:
    • What are the winds doing?
    • Are the temperatures above or below standard and what are the implications of either?
    • What does a temperature inversion look like?
    • In those instances of high wind velocities, how does one decifer the three digit wind speed?
  • Related scenarios:
Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Weather Information Lesson Plan

Student Actions

Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Weather Information Lesson Plan

Airman Certification Standards

Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Weather Information Airman Certification Standards

Knowledge 4 ACS Elements
Risk Management 2 ACS Elements
  • CA.I.C.R1:
    Making the go/no-go and continue/divert decisions, including:
  • CA.I.C.R2:
    Use and limitations of:
    • CA.I.C.R2a:
      Installed onboard weather equipment.
    • CA.I.C.R2b:
      Aviation weather reports and forecasts.
    • CA.I.C.R2c:
      Inflight weather resources.
Skills 3 ACS Elements
  • CA.I.C.S1:
    Use available aviation weather resources to obtain an adequate weather briefing.
  • CA.I.C.S2:
    Analyze the implications of at least three of the conditions listed in K3a through K3l, using actual weather or weather conditions provided by the evaluator.
  • CA.I.C.S3:
    Correlate weather information to make a go/no-go decision.
Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Weather Information Lesson Plan

Conclusion

  • Re-Motivation:

    • Weather Information turns weather information into operational decisions that protect aircraft performance, route flexibility, and safe landing options.
    • Comparing forecasts, observations, trends, aircraft limitations, and personal minimums helps pilots identify deteriorating conditions before they eliminate safer alternatives.
    • Continuous weather monitoring and a willingness to delay, divert, or discontinue a flight are essential expressions of sound aeronautical decision-making.
    • Further exploration of Weather Information prepares commercial pilots to interpret more complex weather systems and make increasingly confident risk-based decisions.

  • Closure:

    • Advise students that this lesson will be used as a starting point for the next lesson
    • Assign study materials for the next lesson