Free PPL meteorology 050 questions: 10 with answers
10 meteorology questions from the PPL bank of ForAllPilots, with no account and no sign-up. Answer in your head, then open the answer: the right letter and its explanation are under each question. The full bank has 592 questions for this subject.
The 10 questions
Question 1 · 1 The atmosphere
The average values of decrease in temperature and atmospheric pressure with altitude in the standard atmosphere are respectively:
- A2°C per 1000 ft and 1 hPa per 28 ft regardless of altitude (from sea level to 11000 m).
- B6.5°C per 1000 ft and 1 hPa per 8.5 ft at sea level.
- C6.5°C per 1000 ft and 1 hPa per 8.5 ft regardless of altitude (from sea level to 11,000 m).
- D2°C per 1000 ft and 1 hPa per 28 ft at sea level.
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Answer: D. 2°C per 1000 ft and 1 hPa per 28 ft at sea level.
In the ICAO standard atmosphere, temperature decreases by 6.5 °C per 1,000 m, i.e. about 2 °C per 1,000 ft, up to 11,000 m. Pressure does not decrease linearly: 1 hPa corresponds to about 28 ft at sea level, and to a much greater height difference at altitude.
Question 2 · 1 The atmosphere
The QNH is 1003 hPa at an aerodrome located at an elevation of 1000 ft. What is the approximate pressure altitude?
- A1450 ft
- B1300 ft
- C1150 ft
- D1000 ft
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Answer: B. 1300 ft
Pressure altitude ≈ aerodrome elevation + (1013 - QNH) x 30 ft = 1000 + (10) x 30 ≈ 1300 ft.
Question 3 · 2 Wind
To schematise the circulation of wind at altitude, it can be said that it is:
- Adirected from low pressure toward high pressure.
- Bdirected from high pressure toward low pressure.
- Cparallel to the isobar lines.
- Dperpendicular to the isobar lines.
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Answer: C. parallel to the isobar lines.
At altitude, away from surface friction, the pressure gradient force and the Coriolis force balance each other: the wind, known as the geostrophic wind, blows parallel to the isobars. Near the ground, friction deflects it towards low pressure.
Question 4 · 2 Wind
The wind is from 250° at 14 kt. The runway in use is runway 09 (QFU 090°). What is the approximate crosswind component?
- A2.4 kt
- B7.2 kt
- C4.8 kt
- D14 kt
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Answer: C. 4.8 kt
Crosswind component = wind speed x sin(angle between wind and runway) = 14 x sin(160°) ≈ 4.8 kt.
Question 5 · 4 Clouds, fog and precipitation
Humid maritime air turns into fog by passing over cold ground. This is:
- Amixing fog.
- Badvection fog.
- Cupslope fog.
- Dradiation fog.
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Answer: B. advection fog.
When a humid air mass arrives over cold ground, it will cool from the base. If conditions are favorable, the temperature will drop to the dew point and fog will form: advection fog.
Question 6 · 5 Air masses, fronts and pressure systems
According to Buys-Ballot's law, in the Northern Hemisphere, the wind circulates:
- Aaround all pressure centers, counterclockwise.
- Bclockwise around a high and counterclockwise around a low.
- Cclockwise around a low and counterclockwise around a high.
- Daround all pressure centers, clockwise.
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Answer: B. clockwise around a high and counterclockwise around a low.
Logically, air masses should move from high pressure (anticyclone) to low pressure (depression) in a straight line. But this is not the case due to the Earth's rotation. The Coriolis force causes winds to rotate clockwise around highs in the Northern Hemisphere, and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. It is the opposite around lows. Mr. Buys-Ballot is the scientist who discovered this phenomenon.
Question 7 · 6 Climatology
When a disturbance approaches a mountain range, we observe:
- Aa very marked weakening of the disturbance on the windward side of the mountain due to the FOEHN effect.
- Ba decrease in precipitation on the windward side of the mountain.
- Can increase in precipitation on the windward side of the mountain.
- Dan increase in precipitation on the leeward side of the mountain.
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Answer: C. an increase in precipitation on the windward side of the mountain.
A disturbance reaching high ground is forced to rise on the windward slope: the air cools by expansion, condensation increases and precipitation increases. On the leeward side, the air descends, warms up and dries out (foehn effect).
Question 8 · 7 Flight hazards
There is a temperature inversion when the temperature:
- Adecreases as pressure decreases.
- Bincreases with altitude.
- Cdecreases with altitude.
- Dremains constant as altitude varies.
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Answer: B. increases with altitude.
Normally, temperature decreases as one rises. An inversion occurs when temperature increases with altitude.
Question 9 · 8 Meteorological information
In a METAR or TAF weather report, the code BKN indicates cloud cover of:
- A5 to 7 oktas.
- B1 to 2 oktas.
- C8 oktas.
- D3 to 4 oktas.
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Answer: A. 5 to 7 oktas.
Cloud cover codes in METARs and TAFs: FEW = 1 to 2 oktas, SCT = 3 to 4 oktas, BKN = 5 to 7 oktas, OVC = 8 oktas.
Question 10 · 8 Meteorological information
A SIGMET message may concern the following weather phenomena:
- Arain.
- Bfreezing rain.
- Cdrizzle.
- Dmist.
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Answer: B. freezing rain.
A SIGMET reports en-route phenomena hazardous to flight safety, including severe icing, in particular icing due to freezing rain (SEV ICE (FZRA), ICAO Annex 3). Rain, drizzle or mist alone are not covered.
Each answer was checked again before publication; like every explanation on the site, these may contain errors. Some explanations were rewritten for this page, sometimes with the help of an AI. Spotted a mistake? Write to us at contact@forallpilots.com.
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