In this activity, you will be guided in analyzing the expected weather conditions and potential flight impacts and hazards for a flight in a general aviation (Skybrary) (Links to an external site.) aircraft. The flight is planned for a mid-March day, going from Daytona Beach International Airport in Florida to Prescott Regional Airport in Arizona, with a mid-way stopover to rest and refuel at Fort Worth International Airport.
You will be evaluating the weather and flight impacts and hazards for 1) the initial departure from Daytona Beach, 2) along the flight route between Daytona and Prescott, and 3) the landing at the final destination at Prescott, by analyzing and interpreting the weather products and information in the Information section.
Part 1 of the information section shows a US map with the departure, stopover, destination, and flight route annotated. A cross-section of the topography along the flight route is also provided in the following Google Maps:
Daytona Beach International Airport (KDAB), elevation 33 feet, is located about 4 miles west of the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of Florida. Map Image of Daytona Beach International Airport (Google Maps). (Links to an external site.)
Prescott Regional Airport (KPRC), the elevation of 5,045 feet, is located in the Bradshaw Mountains of North Central Arizona. Map Image of Prescott Regional Airport (Google Maps). (Links to an external site.)
The planned departure time from Daytona Beach is 1200 Z, which is 8:00 am local time (Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)). After the estimated flight time for each leg of the trip, and the stopover time in Ft. Worth, the expected landing time in Prescott is around 0000 Z, which is 5:00 pm local time Mountain Standard Time (MST) (Arizona observes MST all year).
The planned cruising altitude is 18,000 feet. The departure, stopover location, destination, and flight route are identified on the weather maps and imagery.
In completing the evaluations and summary of the weather and its impacts and hazards to the flight, keep in mind the difference between weather and flight weather impacts and hazards. For example, fog and low clouds describe weather, and the associated impacts of fog and low clouds are low visibility and low cloud ceilings.
