Prepare for the Drone Pilot Exam with our comprehensive quiz designed to equip you with the knowledge required to excel. Practice with multiple-choice questions that enhance your understanding of drone regulations, operations, and safety. Get exam-ready today!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.


Using average lapse rate, if you ascend from 5,000 feet MSL to 7,000 feet MSL, how much should the air temperature drop?

  1. 2 degrees

  2. 4 degrees

  3. 6 degrees

  4. 8 degrees

The correct answer is: 4 degrees

The average lapse rate is a useful concept in meteorology that describes how temperature changes with altitude. Specifically, under typical conditions in the troposphere, the temperature decreases by about 2 degrees Celsius for every 1,000 feet of ascent. In this scenario, ascending from 5,000 feet to 7,000 feet represents a change of 2,000 feet. To calculate the expected temperature drop, you multiply the number of thousands of feet ascended (2) by the lapse rate (2 degrees Celsius per 1,000 feet). Thus, the calculation would be: 2,000 feet / 1,000 feet = 2 (thousands) 2 (thousands) x 2 degrees Celsius = 4 degrees Celsius Therefore, the air temperature should drop by 4 degrees Celsius as one ascends from 5,000 feet to 7,000 feet MSL. This makes the selection of 4 degrees Celsius as the correct answer since it accurately reflects the average temperature drop expected with altitude increase according to the average lapse rate.