A remote pilot arrives at a shoot at 10 AM. Surface visibility appears clear for several miles horizontally. However, looking toward their 350-foot planned altitude, the sky appears hazy and milky above approximately 200 feet. This visual effect is most likely caused by:
Why →
A temperature inversion occurs when a layer of warm air sits above cooler surface air, creating a stable lid that traps particulates, humidity, and pollutants in the lower layer. This produces a visible haze band at the inversion height. From the ground, horizontal visibility may appear acceptable, but the haze layer significantly reduces visibility at and above the inversion altitude.The trap →
Surface fog sits at ground level and burns off upward as heat rises. It does not create a haze layer at 200 feet while surface conditions are already clear. Cumulus bases look like distinct cloud layers, not diffuse haze bands. The temperature inversion specifically produces the pattern of clear ground air with hazy conditions aloft.SOURCE → PHAK Chapter 12, Atmospheric Stability; FAA Aviation Weather Services (AC 00-45H)CHECKED APR 21ACS III.B.K1MED