I’ve got another Part 107 test question video walkthrough. This week’s question is on weather, specifically we are talking about stable air masses. The video is below and as usual, this article tracks with the video.
Here’s the question:
A stable air mass is most likely to have which characteristic?
- Showery precipitation
- Turbulent air
- Poor surface visibility
Part 107 Test Question Walkthrough
Okay, so let’s start at the top. Showery precipitation is not the correct answer because typically stable air masses have consistent or steady precipitation. This happens because rain and stable air masses are free of disturbances and this provides time for the air mass to settle over a location without being being moved or interrupted. This brings about a more steady precipitation as opposed to a showery or sporadic precipitation,
Next, it’s not turbulent air. This one seems a little a little obvious if you think about it because if air mass is stable, it’s probably not going to have turbulent air. Instead, it would probably have smoother air. This quality can often be seen by people that are flying. If you’ve ever been in an airplane when the airplane is not experiencing turbulence, you’re in a more stable air mass and this just means that the air is free to flow over the wing optimally and it’s typically not very interrupted.
So, that means that the correct answer is poor surface visibility, which actually might not be the obvious answer but it is the correct answer because in stable air masses, they’re free of disturbances and they often allow particles like dust or smoke or haze or something else to linger in the air without being shifted or blown around. The result ends up being poor visibility for people on the ground and especially if you’re flying in an aircraft.
An unstable airmass on the other hand, may not have poor visibility because the air is constantly blowing around and the particles that if they settled would create this haze or reduce visibility so the correct answer is poor surface visibility.
I hope this Part 107 test question video walkthrough was helpful. If you want to take a full Part 107 practice test, I’ve got one available for free here.
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