Meteorology

Meteorology Meteorology is the study of the atmosphere and weather. Weather being a major consideration for pilots and aircraft as many aviation accidents are the result of misinterpreting weather or flying into bad weather; it is therefor very important that pilots know how to forecast weather, understand its impacts, and avoid dangerous weather conditions. Meteorology for RPAS Pilots Pilots flying full sized aircraft over long distances clearly need to be very knowledgeable about changing weather conditions, for most commercial RPAS operators however weather considerations are not as significant as you are flying for only short periods and distances. It is however very important to know: How to interpret weather forecasts Weather minimums and restrictions The micro-meteorology that can affect small aircraft Weather Weather is caused primarily because of our atmosphere: The atmosphere is composed of different gases ( 21 % oxygen, 78% nitrogen, carbon dioxide and others) The atmosphere has mass and therefore also has weight which effect gravity Pressure (approximately 15 lbs per square inch at sea level) Density (how many molecules in a volume) Temperature Moisture

Atmospheric Pressure The atmosphere extends up many km above the earth and with that much air above us, it exerts a lot of force downwards. In fact at sea level an average human has about 20 tons of air pushing down on them. The force exerted on a unit of area is called Pressure, air pressure is usually measured in millibars (mb) or hectopascals (hPa), or inches of Mercury (inHg) Standard pressure is 1013.25 mb, 1013.25 hPa or 29.92 inHg