10 Weather Questions Every Pilot Should Know.

“…and then the winds were gusting 40 knots!”

goes the story of me, the new private pilot, in way over my head. We were all there once. You departed the airport and the winds were reporting a steady crosswind, totaling no more than 12 knots, but then when you returned the winds were completely insane. The good news? You’ll probably make similar mistakes a few times through your aviation career. The bad news? You’ll probably make similar mistakes a few times through your aviation career.

It’s all about weather knowledge and building experience. Each time you put another hour in your logbook is another opportunity of learning.  The important part; however, is going into each flight with the basic knowledge and decision making skills to keep you safe. This is what the FAA works hard to ensure through their certification standards as well as what flight instructors strive to teach each student. With that said, here are 10 basic questions I believe every pilot should know. Maybe if I had known some of these things, back in the day, the winds would not have caught me by surprise!