Knowledge area
Meteorology
Atmosphere, pressure, altimetry, moisture, stability, clouds, turbulence, wind, fronts, icing, thunderstorms, services and reports/forecasts. Basic covers the practical; advanced adds theory and reports (METAR/TAF).
The syllabus is not the same for every certification. Here is what each level expects of you in this area.
Basic
For basic certification
8 topics- The earth's atmosphere: density and pressure
- Clouds: low-level types, recognition, associated precipitation and turbulence
- Surface-based layers: fog, haze and smoke, blowing obstructions to vision
- Turbulence: convection, mechanical, orographic, wind shear
- Wind: pressure gradient, low-level winds, friction, diurnal effects, land and sea breezes, katabatic and anabatic, topography
- Aircraft icing: formation, freezing rain, hoar frost, effect on launch and recovery
- Weather services: aviation weather web site
- Weather services: non-aviation sources
Advanced
What advanced certification adds
11 topics- The earth's atmosphere: composition and physical properties
- Atmospheric pressure: measurements, station and sea-level pressure, pressure systems, temperature effects
- Meteorological aspects of altimetry: pressure altitude, density altitude, altimeter settings
- Moisture: temperature variation with altitude, relative humidity and dewpoint, cloud formation, precipitation
- Stability and instability: stable or unstable air, surface heating and cooling, lifting
- Fronts and frontal weather: structure and frontal wave, cold front, warm front
- Thunderstorms: development, types, hazards, squall lines
- Weather services: Flight Information Centres (FIC) telephone
- Weather services: ATIS
- Aviation weather reports: METAR, AWOS, LWIS
- Aviation forecasts: issue and validity times and TAF
Mock exams mix all eight areas, just like the real exam.