NCAA CPL Meteorology case studies
NCAA CPL Meteorology · Put your knowledge to work in context.
NCAA CPL Meteorology is the meteorology subject paper of the Commercial Pilot Licence ground examination set by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. It is written for student pilots working towards a CPL, and for licence holders refreshing knowledge, and it tests whether you can read the atmosphere well enough to make operational decisions - not whether you can recite physics. The NCAA CPL Meteorology case studies are 5 cases and about 3,320 words.
1Hot-afternoon departure from Kano with a shortened runway
It is 1500 local time in March at Mallam Aminu Kano International (DNKN), elevation 1,565 ft. ATIS gives QNH 1008 hPa, temperature 42°C, dewpoint 8°C, wind 070/12 kt, visibility 6 km in dust haze.
756 words, about 4 min2Convective cloud base, freezing level and icing on Lagos arrival
At 1400 UTC in Lagos (DNMM, elevation 135 ft), surface observations are 32°C, dewpoint 25°C, QNH 1009 hPa, wind 210/10 kt. A line of cumulus congestus is growing west of the field; radar echo tops are 38,000 ft.
530 words, about 3 min3Sea-breeze wind shift and low-level shear at Port Harcourt
At Port Harcourt (DNPO, elevation 60 ft) at 1600 local, the wind has veered from 080/6 kt at noon to 230/14 gust 22 kt. Temperature is 33°C, dewpoint 26°C, QNH 1008 hPa.
682 words, about 3 min4Harmattan dust, ITCZ position and a Lagos TAF with thunderstorms
You plan Kano (DNKN) to Lagos (DNMM), ETA 1600, with Abuja (DNAA) as the only realistic alternate. Kano METAR: DNKN 121200Z 06008KT 2500 HZ SKC 28/05 Q1014.
712 words, about 4 min5Microburst and gust front on short final at Abuja
At Abuja (DNAA, elevation 1,129 ft) at 1700 local, a multicell thunderstorm is 8 nm west of runway 22. ATIS reports wind 240/12 kt, but the tower reports a gust front with wind 310/25 gust 40 kt and an alert of a 20 kt loss at 500 ft.
640 words, about 3 min