Most people like to swallow the bad news first and then wash it down with the good news. The bad news is that most of what you might have learned about thunderstorms is probably worthless—not to mention all the useless banter you hear from your local TV weather personality or read on internet aviation forums. So, in my best British accent, it is often littered with bloody misconceptions, and in some cases, outright poppycock.
The good news is that I got your attention. It is very obvious that the FAA requires a pilot to have a rudimentary knowledge when thunderstorms are a flight risk. However, being able to regurgitate the three stages of the thunderstorm lifecycle, for example, is as useful as the Washington, D.C., Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) is to a general aviation pilot.
