Even now you have the weather resources you need, it is important for you to recognize the potential hazards as indicated on the weather forecast. By recognizing the potential hazard, you will be able to better decide whether the condition is good for a decent flight or if it is better to stay out from the sky.
Having a good visibility is important for your flight, while having bad visibility during flight can create a lots of trouble especially if you are flying VFR. Here are several types of weather hazards that will impact your visibility during flight to different extents.
- Mist
- Fog
- Haze
- Blowing Snow
- Volcanic ash
- Rain
- Blowing dust
Plane covered with volcanic ash. Source: https://www.google.ca/url Access: Nov 14th, 2018
Here is a table that helps you identify different types of obscuration on the weather map:
Source:https://www.eoas.ubc.ca/courses/atsc113/flying/met_concepts/01-met_concepts/01i-obscurations/index.html Accessed: Nov14th, 2018
At a altitude where air temperature is between 0 to -40 C, icing may happen as the supercooled water droplets freeze instantly in touch with the aircraft. Sometimes, if the icing condition is severe enough, even with de-icing equipment on your plane, it is possible that the plane will lose power and fall out of the sky.
Source: https://www.google.ca/url?sa=i&rct Accessed: Nov14th, 2018
If you see warning of thunderstorm on weather report, it is better to change your flight route or delay your flight until the thunderstorm passed. It is required that pilots do not fly through thunderstorms and to keep at least 20 nautical miles away from thunderstorms. This is in consideration of many of hazards that deeply concern the safety of your flight.
Hazards related with thunderstorm include:
- Convective turbulence
- Downburst, microburst, gust fronts & low level wind shear
- Lightning & precipitation
- Hail
- Tornadoes
- Heavy rain
- impaired visibility, ceiling & icing
Thunderstorm in Wyoming and Nebraska 2014 Source: http://thevane.gawker.com/pictures-of-epic-thunderstorms-in-wyoming-and-nebraska-1578314865 Accessed: Nov 14th, 2018