FAA Ground School Practice Test

What is a key feature of AIRMETs compared to SIGMETs?

1. AIRMETs are specific to military operations

2. AIRMETs indicate severe weather only

3. AIRMETs have lower intensity than SIGMETs

4. AIRMETs are issued for longer than 24 hours

The correct answer is: AIRMETs have lower intensity than SIGMETs

AIRMETs are specifically designed to provide information about weather phenomena that may affect the safety of flight, particularly for smaller aircraft and those operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR). One of the defining characteristics of AIRMETs is that they generally indicate weather conditions that are of a lower intensity compared to SIGMETs, which are warnings of more severe weather phenomena that can significantly impact flight safety. SIGMETs are issued for more severe conditions, including thunderstorms, turbulence, icing, and volcanic ash, all of which may pose a substantial risk to all aircraft alike. In contrast, AIRMETs focus on less severe weather, such as occasional turbulence or light icing, which may still be hazardous to certain aircraft but does not reach the severity that would trigger a SIGMET. This distinction is crucial for pilots to assess and prepare for flight conditions relevant to the size and type of aircraft they are operating, ensuring that the information provided through AIRMETs is vital for safe flight operations without causing undue concern about more intense weather issues that would be highlighted in SIGMETs.