ATPL Meteorology (Sri Lanka CAA Pilot Licence Examinations) case studies
ATPL Meteorology · Put your knowledge to work in context.
ATPL Meteorology is one of the theoretical knowledge subjects a candidate must pass on the route to an Airline Transport Pilot Licence. It is aimed at professional pilot candidates - typically those who already hold, or are working towards, a commercial licence and are completing the ATPL ground examinations, often through an approved training organisation. The ATPL Meteorology case studies are 5 cases and about 4,950 words.
1The Ridge at FL 060: Two Altimetry Errors Pulling in Opposite Directions
You are the commander of a twin turboprop cruising at FL 060 with the altimeter subscale set to 1013 hPa. The departure aerodrome elevation was 1,000 ft with QNH 1028 hPa.
937 words, about 5 min2Is the PROB30 Realistic? A Sounding Worked Through by Hand
At 1200 local time the surface temperature at your aerodrome is 27 °C with a dewpoint of 19 °C. The 1200 sounding shows an environmental lapse rate of 8.5 °C/km from the surface to 1,500 m, 6.5 °C/km from 1,500 m to 3,000 m, and 8.0 °C/km above 3,000 m.
962 words, about 5 min3Icing Behind the Protected Area: Climb Through the Warm Nose or Turn Back?
You are flying a non-FIKI twin turboprop at FL 120 in a uniform stratiform deck with tops reported at FL 200. The 1200 sounding shows a frontal inversion with a warm nose of +2 °C between FL 160 and FL 180.
945 words, about 5 min4Warm Front Arrival: Reading the Pressure Fall and the Wind Veer
You are the commander of a scheduled flight to a coastal aerodrome in northwest Europe. The 0600 analysis places a warm front 60 nm west of the aerodrome, aligned NE–SW and moving east at 20 kt; the associated cold front lies 380 nm further west.
1,068 words, about 5 min5Crossing the Jet: Why a Stronger Wind Aloft Is Not Always Better
You are flight-planning an eastbound North Atlantic sector at FL 340, TAS 470 kt. The upper-air chart shows the polar-front jet crossing your route at right angles, with a core of 160 kt at FL 380.
1,038 words, about 5 min