Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Fronts! The good, the bad, the ugly.

What are fronts and what are things we should look for to help us determine the best course of action should we be flying.  The "boundary layer between two types of air masses is known as a front(PHAK Chapter 12)  There are four kinds of fronts.  Warm, Cold, Stationary and Occluded.  Although all of them include weather that isn't necessarily "good"  I am going to say what is good about each front, what is bad about each front, what is ugly about each front.

The Good:


Warm Front:  With a warm front the good thing about it is it moves more slowly.  Typically 10 to 25 mph.  The precipitation is usually light to moderate and it is very predictable in nature due to the gradual slope.


Cold Front: The good thing about a cold front is a double sided sword.  It moves quickly so the storms are around only for a short period of time compare to a warm front.






Stationary Front:  The good news about stationary fronts is they stick to one area, so they don't move on you when you least expect it.







Occluded Front:  With Occluded fronts it is hard to really see any good from them.  They are in essence a combination of all the fronts.  I guess the only good thing you could state about them is that they typically move slower than cold fronts.






The Bad: 

Warm Front:  Because they are slower moving that means that they are going to stick around for a few days, so if you ever have to land in VFR conditions, you are going to be waiting a few days before you will be able to fly again.

Cold Front:  They are gone fast but the bad thing is they spring up so quickly they are often associated with more violent storms.  "Extreme cold fronts have been recorded moving at speeds of up to 60 mph" (PHAK chapter 12).   Getting caught in a cold front, depending on what you are flying can be quite deadly.

Stationary Front:  If you thought warm fronts were bad at sticking around a while stationary fronts can stick around for even longer.  I like to look at it as the cold front and warm front are having a long battle and in the end no one wins.

Occluded Front:  Although not as violent and rapid as cold fronts, they take on the characteristics of both warm and cold fronts.  "The weather ahead of the cold occlusion is similar to that of a warm front while that along and behind the cold occlusion is similar to that of a cold front."( https://okfirst.mesonet.org/train/meteorology/Fronts.html)


The Ugly:

Warm Front:  With the continued rise of the dew point and cooling temperatures a large amount of fog and haze will happen as the front continues forward.  If there is little to no wind you can kiss your visibility goodbye.

Cold Front:  "Depending on the intensity of the cold front, heavy rain showers form and may be accompanied by lightning, thunder, and/or hail. More severe cold fronts can also produce tornadoes." (PHAK CHP 12)   Not only this but cold fronts are often associated with squall lines, which is a large line of cumulonimbus clouds which are associated with thunderstorms.

Stationary Front:  Pretty much the same statement as the bad.  Just days and days of low ceilings, rain, and poor visibility.  Think of the city of Seattle, which rains 150 days of the year.

Occluded Front:  I don't know if you can say occluded fronts are all that ugly, because it is a mix of warm and cold, but the cold pushes out the warm.  There is still low visibility and varying winds, but the cold front pushes the warm front out of the way a bit quicker.  So in a way it's a little bit of a stronger warm front that doesn't last as long.



References:
 
 
 
Pilot Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge  Chapter 12. 2017
 


https://weather.com/science/weather-explainers/news/seattle-rainy-reputation



Tuesday, April 9, 2019

ATC helping with National Security and Homeland Defense

"The primary purpose of the ATC system is to prevent a collision between aircraft operating in the system and to provide a safe, orderly and expeditious flow of traffic, and to provide support for National Security and Homeland Defense." (FAA JO 7110.65W 2-1-1) Since there is a concern now more than ever on illegal immigration I wanted to talk about the Air Defense Identification Zones (ADIZ's) and National Security Areas (NSA's) and how those directly support both National Security and Homeland defense.
 
 
 
 
 
 
ADIZ
 
"AIR DEFENSE IDENTIFICATION ZONE (ADIZ)-  The area of airspace over land or water, extending upward from the surface, within which the ready identification, the location, and the control of aircraft are required in the interest of national security" (FAA JO 7110.65W Glossary of terms)  There are four kinds of ADIZ's each plays there own role for National Security.  They are Domestic Air Defense Identification Zones, Coastal Air Defense Identification Zones, Distant Early Warning Identification Zones, and Land-Based Air Defense Identification Zones.
"Any aircraft that wishes to fly in or through the boundary must file either a Defense Visual Flight Rules (DVFR) flight plan or an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight plan before crossing the ADIZ (14 CFR 99.11)."(https://www.faasafety.gov/files/gslac/library/documents/2011/Jan/49877/ADIZ%20TFR%20Intercepts%20w%20answers.pdf)
If you do happen to not follow the procedures established in the AIM and 14 CFR 99 on what is needed to cross ADIZ's you will get intercepted.  Here are images of procedures you should do if this does happen.  If you do not follow these procedures you may be perceived by the government as a threat and could be shot down.   
 


 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
You can read about 2 Russian TU-95 "Bear" Bombers who crossed the ADIZ near Alaska and how they were then escorted away from the United States https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/american-jets-intercept-russian-aircraft-flying-west-alaska-n909161
 
 
 
 NSA
 
"National Security Areas consist of airspace of defined vertical and lateral dimensions established at locations where there is a requirement for increased security and safety of ground facilities. Pilots are requested to voluntarily avoid flying through the depicted NSA. When it is necessary to provide a greater level of security and safety, flight in NSAs may be temporarily prohibited by regulation under the provisions of 14 CFR Section 99.7."   NSA's are pretty self explanatory but it is important that we do everything we can to follow them to help in security.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 References
 
 
 
 
 
 
 14 CFR Section 99
 
 
FFA JO 7110.65 W
 
 
 

 

Monday, April 1, 2019

Lead in the air!!

     



                 While there continues to be debate on the human effects of climate change, there has been evidence of other toxic substances that play a role on human health.  One of the major concerns airport managers have concerning one of the environmental impacts is the air quality in/around the airport.  On 19 June 2013, the FAA released a memorandum stating "Aviation gasoline (avgas) is a specialized fuel used to power piston engine aircraftDue to the high octane requirements of these aircraft engines, a fuel additive, tetraethyllead (TEL), is used as an octane booster in avgas. The presence of TEL in avgas results in engine emissions from these aircraft that include lead."(19 Jun 2013 FAA Memorandum).  The CDC ( Center for Disease Control) says, "It does not matter if a person breathes-in, swallows, or absorbs lead particles, the health effects are the same; however, the body absorbs higher levels of lead when it is breathed-in." (https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/lead/health.html).  Lead has been known to cause many health related problems especially in children.  This is why in 1978, the federal government banned consumer uses of lead-containing paint, but some states banned it even earlier.  Due to this nature the EPA decided to undertake a monitoring study in 2010 at various airports to see the levels of lead and report their findings to the FAA.  Airport operators are encouraged to evaluate the levels of lead and other air toxins and try to change operations to ensure better air quality for the general public around the airports if possible.  The government gives various grants to airports to help influence the air quality of the airport for the better.  As an airport manager not only is it important to consider this environmental operation for the health of the general public, but it can also have a lasting impact financially as well.  

 

 

 

References:

19 Jun 2013 FAA Memorandum
Subject: Interim Guidance on Mitigating Public Risks Associated With Lead Emissions from Avgas

https://www.faa.gov/airports/environmental/air_quality/

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/lead/health.html

https://www.epa.gov/lead/protect-your-family-exposures-lead