DGCA Meteorology: Winds Questions
103 exam-style Winds questions for the DGCA Meteorology paper (CPL · ATPL · PPL). The first 12 are free below with answers and explanations — sign up free to practise all of them with progress tracking.
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Q1
Regarding land breeze and sea breeze:
- A Sea breeze is strong during night
- B Land breeze is weaker than sea breeze and occurs during night
- C Both occur during day
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Correct answer: B. Land breeze is weaker than sea breeze and occurs during night
Land breeze blows at night when land cools faster. It’s weaker than the daytime sea breeze.
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Q2
What causes wind?
- A Difference in pressure
- B Frontal systems
- C Difference in temperature
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Correct answer: A. Difference in pressure
Wind is caused by differences in pressure: air accelerates from high toward low pressure under the pressure-gradient force. Temperature contrasts matter only indirectly, by creating those pressure differences.
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Q3
Surge shear (line shear) is most vigorous in:
- A Calm winds
- B Thunderstorms or squall lines
- C Fog
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Correct answer: B. Thunderstorms or squall lines
Thunderstorms and squall lines create sharp wind shifts, making surge shear intense.
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Q4
Wind shear may cause an aircraft to:
- A Climb uncontrollably
- B Require sideways maneuver
- C Increase speed only
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Correct answer: B. Require sideways maneuver
Wind shear changes wind direction, so pilots adjust sideways to stay on course.
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Q5
Low level wind shear is likely to be greatest
- A at the condensation level when there is strong surface friction.
- B at the top of a marked surface-based inversion.
- C at the top of the friction layer.
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Correct answer: B. at the top of a marked surface-based inversion.
The strongest low-level shear is found at the top of a marked surface-based inversion, where nearly calm air trapped beneath the inversion meets much stronger, friction-decoupled flow (often a low-level jet) just above it.
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Q6
Lines of constant wind speed drawn on weather charts are called
- A Isobars
- B Isotachs
- C Isogons
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Correct answer: B. Isotachs
Lines joining points of equal wind speed are isotachs; isobars join equal pressure and isogons join equal wind direction.
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Q7
A gale is defined as wind of at least:
- A 20 knots
- B 34 knots and is commonly associated with depressions/cyclones
- C 50 knots
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Correct answer: B. 34 knots and is commonly associated with depressions/cyclones
Gales start at 34 knots, often tied to stormy low-pressure systems.
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Q8
The most dangerous low level wind shears are encountered
- A during any period when wind speed is greater than 35 kt and near valleys
- B in areas with layered clouds and wind speeds higher than 35 kt
- C when strong ground inversions are present and near thunderstorms
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Correct answer: C. when strong ground inversions are present and near thunderstorms
The most hazardous low-level wind shear occurs with strong surface-based inversions, where a low-level jet overrides calm surface air, and near thunderstorms, whose downbursts and gust fronts can produce sudden severe airspeed changes on approach or departure.
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Q9
In land and sea breeze circulation, the land breeze blows:
- A From sea to land during day
- B From land to sea during the night
- C Continuously
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Correct answer: B. From land to sea during the night
At night, land cools faster, so air flows from land to sea.
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Q10
With the onset of sea breeze there is a _____ in temperature and ____ in RH.
- A Fall/Rise
- B Fall/Fall
- C Rise/Fall
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Correct answer: A. Fall/Rise
A sea breeze brings cooler, moister maritime air inland, so its onset produces a fall in temperature and a rise in relative humidity.
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Q11
The most dangerous low level wind shears are encountered
- A when strong ground inversions are present and near thunderstorms
- B during any period when wind speed is greater than 35 kt and near valleys
- C near valleys and at the windward side of mountains.
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Correct answer: A. when strong ground inversions are present and near thunderstorms
The most dangerous low-level shear occurs with strong ground-based inversions, where a low-level jet flows over almost calm surface air, and near thunderstorms with their downbursts and gust fronts, both causing abrupt airspeed changes near the ground.
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Q12
In N hemisphere due to rotation of earth winds are deflected to
- A Right
- B Left
- C none of the above
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Correct answer: A. Right
In the northern hemisphere the Coriolis force arising from the earth's rotation deflects moving air to the right of its path, which is why winds spiral clockwise around highs and anticlockwise around lows there.
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