Aviation Weather
Demonstration of Mastery Exercise
Weather Considerations for Airport Development
This is a culminating activity that synthesizes most of the weather concepts covered thus far in the course. In fulfilling the requirements for the activity, you will consider, for all seasons, the regional (small scale) and large scale weather phenomena for three different geographic regions in the Western United States, and analyze and evaluate how these phenomena could impact aviation operations.
Assignment
After completing the previous weather consulting assignments, you have moved on to start your own aviation weather consulting business. In your first job as an independent contractor, you have been hired by an airport planning and development firm who is interested in a venture to build regional airports in the Western United States. Your objective is to generate a report that outlines the potential weather impacts to aviation operations at regional airports in the Western United States. After developing the report, you reflect on how the extent of your learning thus far in the course factored into your perceived success on this activity.
Research, gather information, and create a rough draft of the report. In developing your draft, keep in mind that this is a culminating activity and you will be “pulling out all the stops”, applying weather concepts and their applications to aviation covered not only in this module but all previous modules of the course also. Finalize and deliver the final version of the report to the client – Weather Considerations for Airport Development: Report Delivery. Also, include your statements of self-reflection on the last page of the document.
The report will contain the following:
Guidance with respect to airport planning and development on the use and interpretation of a wind rose, and a public website resource for wind roses. Mini-Lesson: Wind Measurement and its Application provides background information and a public website resource for wind roses (also provided on the report template below).
Weather phenomena common to the location that could impact aviation operations, for each of following topographic/geographic location categories found in the western United States:
Along the US west coast, with steep mountains to the east (an example of this category is Santa Barbara Airport, located on the Southern California Coast, at an elevation of 10 feet)
In a valley in elevated terrain with high mountains on each side, (an example of this category is Friedman Memorial Airport, located in Central Idaho, at an elevation of 5300 feet)
In elevated terrain on the leeside of high mountains (an example of this category is Northern Colorado Regional Airport, located in northern Colorado, at an elevation of 5000 feet, on the leeside of the Rocky Mountains)
(See cross-sectional diagrams depicting these location categories on next page)
Picture 2
Above: Diagrams depicting locations a, b, and c as described in part 2.
A summary of the impacts to aviation operations for each of the weather phenomena listed for each location.
In parts 2. and 3. above, you will be demonstrating your cumulative (throughout the course) knowledge, and ability to connect weather phenomena like cloud and fog types and development, regional wind patterns, precipitation types, small and large-scale weather system and air pressure patterns, etc., to their impacts on aviation operations.
Use the template provided below to develop a report containing the requirements outlined in 1-3 above, adding references for all sources of factual information, and your reflective statements. The template contains additional guidance in fulfilling the requirements.
The grading rubric and the template are provided on the following pages. Remove the instruction pages from the file prior to submitting your final draft of the report.
Weather Considerations for the Development of Regional Airports in the Western United States
Prepared by:
[Enter name here]
Determining Prevailing Winds at the New Airport Location
[In this space:
Explain the purpose of a wind rose.
Explain how to interpret a wind rose by presenting a graphic of a wind rose for a particular location and interpreting all information it contains.
Provide a resource for wind rose diagrams here are two options:
USDAs Natural Resources Conservation Service Wind Rose Website
The How-To tab at Worldwide Wind Roses – Graphics and Tabular Data
Outline the uses of wind roses in airport planning and development.]
Summary of Possible Weather and Associated Aviation Impacts for Geographic/Topographic Categories Common in the Western United States
[In the table below, for each possible airport location, list THREE or more weather phenomena common to the location that could impact aviation operations, and include a brief description of each phenomenon.]
Geographic/Topographic Category of a Possible of Airport Location
Weather Phenomena That Could Impact Aviation Operations
Station/Airport Example
Along the US West coast, with steep mountains to the east
Santa Barbara Municipal Airport
Santa Barbara, California
Elevation: 10 ft.
In a valley in elevated terrain with high mountains on each side
Friedman Memorial Airport
Hailey, Idaho
Elevation: 5300 ft.
In elevated terrain on the leeside of high mountains
Northern Colorado Regional Airport
Loveland, Colorado
Elevation: 5000 ft.
Weather Impacts to Aviation Operations
[For each weather phenomena listed in the table above, summarize its impact to aviation for your client. Here are two examples:
Fog and low clouds reduce visibility and ceilings, affecting the logistics and safety of take-off and landing operations.
High density altitude reduces aerodynamic performance . (summarize some of the details based on your work in the density altitude team project)]
References
Reflective Statements
[Formulate a paragraph supporting, with specific points, how the extent of your learning thus far in the course factored into your perceived success on this activity.]
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