Overview
This unit will provide you with knowledge of low-altitude meteorology applicable to aviation operations. You will cover the aeronautical knowledge requirements of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) meteorology syllabus. You will study the atmosphere, its structure, composition, and dynamics. You will learn how temperature, pressure, and density vary with altitude and how this affects your ability to pilot an aircraft. Cloud types and their associated weather will be identified and classified. You will also learn how to read meteorological charts. Students who have completed the corresponding external CASA exam and want to be exempt from Assessment 1 (Quizzes) should contact the Unit Coordinator.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Students must meet all requisites: 1. AVAT11002 Basic Aeronautical Knowledge OR (AVAT11012 Aviation Practice AND AVAT11013 Introduction to Aviation); AND 2. AVAT11005 Flight Fundamentals; AND 3. AVAT11010 Aviation Safety Fundamentals OR AVAT11007 Flight Planning, Performance, and Operation.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2026
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from SUTE
Provide adequate and useful feedback.
Should provide individual feedback to students to address shortcomings and increase learning value.
- Describe the model of the International Standard Atmosphere
- Explain atmospheric characteristics and how temperature, pressure, and density vary with altitude
- Classify cloud types and their associated weather
- Explain the motion of air masses and fronts, and the weather associated with each type
- Identify features on low-level aviation meteorological charts
- Decode aviation meteorological forecasts and reports
- Identify the meteorological hazards for aviation including icing and visibility.
No external accreditation.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 40% | |||||||
| 2 - Examination - 60% | |||||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
| 1 - Communication | |||||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | |||||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | |||||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | |||||||
| 5 - Team Work | |||||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | |||||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | |||||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | |||||||
| 10 - First Nations Knowledges | |||||||
| 11 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||||||
Textbooks
Manual of Aviation Meteorology
- Edition: 1st (2003)
- Authors: Bureau of Meteorology
- Airservices Australia
- Canberra Canberra , ACT , Australia
- ISBN: 0-9578991-5-7
- Binding: Hardcover
Private and Commercial Meteorology
- Third edition (2021)
- Authors: David Robson
- Aviation Theory Centre PTY LTD
- Narangba Narangba , Queensland , Australia
- ISBN: 9780949499325
- Binding: Hardcover
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
a.ranganathan@cqu.edu.au
Week 1
Begin Date: 09 Mar 2026Module/Topic
The Atmosphere
Chapter
The Atmosphere
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 2
Begin Date: 16 Mar 2026Module/Topic
Air temperature and heat exchange processes
Chapter
Air temperature and heat exchange processes
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz 1
Week 3
Begin Date: 23 Mar 2026Module/Topic
Cloud types and associated weather
Chapter
Cloud types and associated weather
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 4
Begin Date: 30 Mar 2026Module/Topic
Air density
Chapter
Air density
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz 2
Week 5
Begin Date: 06 Apr 2026Module/Topic
Atmospheric pressure and stability of the atmosphere
Chapter
Atmospheric pressure and stability of the atmosphere
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 6
Begin Date: 13 Apr 2026Module/Topic
Moist air and clouds
Chapter
Moist air and clouds
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz 3
Vacation Week
Begin Date: 20 Apr 2026Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 7
Begin Date: 27 Apr 2026Module/Topic
Wind, turbulence, synoptic charts, and tropical weather
Chapter
Wind, turbulence, synoptic charts, and tropical weather
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 8
Begin Date: 04 May 2026Module/Topic
Thunderstorms, aircraft icing, and visibility.
Chapter
Thunderstorms, aircraft icing, and visibility.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz 4
Week 9
Begin Date: 11 May 2026Module/Topic
Weather systems and patterns.
Chapter
Weather systems and patterns.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 10
Begin Date: 18 May 2026Module/Topic
Meteorological services, reports, forecasts, satellite images, and interpretation of charts.
Chapter
Meteorological services, reports, forecasts, satellite images, and interpretation of charts.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 11
Begin Date: 25 May 2026Module/Topic
Adverse weather, volcanic ash, tropopause, and weather radar.
Chapter
Adverse weather, volcanic ash, tropopause, and weather radar.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 12
Begin Date: 01 Jun 2026Module/Topic
High-level weather conditions & Revision
Chapter
High-level weather conditions.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Exam Week
Begin Date: 08 Jun 2026Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Vacation/Exam Week
Begin Date: 15 Jun 2026Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Online Quiz(zes)
1. Four quizzes (fortnightly) will be conducted, each worth 10 marks (weightage 10%). Each quiz consists of multiple-choice and short-calculation questions.
2. Schedule of the Quizzes: Quiz 1 (in Week 2); Quiz 2 (in Week 4); Quiz 3 (in Week 6); and Quiz 4 (in Week 8).
3. The syllabus will cover the concepts that are taught during the lectures of the preceding two weeks. Reviewing relevant lectures before attempting the quiz is strongly recommended.
4. The duration of the test is one hour.
5. The details of the dates and timings of the fortnightly quizzes will be promulgated in Moodle in Week 1 (after the first lecture).
6. Please ensure your availability for these four quizzes. Only one attempt is allowed. Absentees will not be given another chance.
7. Total marks: 40 (10 for each quiz); Weightage 40% for overall grade. The debrief for every quiz will be completed during the following week of that specific quiz. For example, the debrief of Quiz 1 will be completed during the Week 3 lectures and tutorial.
NOTE: This assessment is exempted from the 72-hour submission grace period and must be completed by the stated submission date/time.
NOTE: AI ASSESSMENT SCALE - NO AI. You must not use Al at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge.
4
Fortnightly
- The Learning Outcome Assessed: Demonstrate competencies on the Meteorological components of CPL (Commercial Pilot License); as detailed in Schedule 3 of Part 61, MOS (Manual of Standards) of CASR (Civil Aviation Safety Regulations).
- The Quizzes will be MCQ-type, designed to assess students' understanding of the concepts and applications of meteorological aspects of aviation taught during the lectures.
- Correct numerical answer or selection of the best answer among the available multiple-choice options.
- Describe the model of the International Standard Atmosphere
- Explain atmospheric characteristics and how temperature, pressure, and density vary with altitude
- Classify cloud types and their associated weather
- Identify features on low-level aviation meteorological charts
- Decode aviation meteorological forecasts and reports
Examination
Calculator - non-programmable, no text retrieval, silent only
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
