PPL (I-C) / CAX (I-C) / CFI (III-B)
Weather Information
Objective
To ensure the applicant learns the various sources of aviation
weather and the factors that contribute to weather go/no-go
decision making.
Purpose
Weather can be one of the most hazardous aspects of flying,
especially for VFR-only pilots. This lesson introduces pilots to
the various sources of aviation weather observations,
forecasts, and charts. It will illustrate the importance of
obtaining a thorough weather briefing before every flight, and
evaluating the weather situation in terms of their own
proficiency and airplane capabilities.
Schedule Equipment
● Ground Lesson: 30 minutes ● Sample Aviation Weather Products
● Student Q&A: 10 minutes ● Whiteboard / Markers (optional)
Student Actions Instructor Actions
● Ask any questions, receive study material for the next lesson. ● Deliver the ground lesson (below).
● Watch linked video. ● Request a Standard Weather Briefing from
● Review listed references. FSS.
● Answer student questions.
Completion Standards
● Student can explain the following concepts:
● The types of weather briefings available to pilots and how to obtain one.
● METARs, TAFs, Winds Aloft, and how to decode them.
● The types of weather charts available to pilots.
● The sources of in-flight weather information available to pilots.
● Common aviation weather hazards, including windshear, thunderstorms, and icing.
● Personal weather minimums, and factors influencing weather-related go/no-go decisions.
Prepared by: Ryan Binns (ryancbinns.com/flying), March 2020 /
PPL (I-C) / CAX (I-C) / CFI (III-B)
2
References
● FLY8MA.com Flight Training - “GS: How to Decode METARs and TAFs | Part 1 | The Simple Stuff”
○ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqXlMwp-yQY
● FAA-H-8083-25B (Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge) - Chapter 13, Page 2-4 [Observations],
Chapter 13, Page 4-5 [Service Outlets], Chapter 13, Page 5 [Weather Briefings], Chapter 13, Page 5-8
[Aviation Weather Reports], Chapter 13, Page 9-13 [Aviation Weather Forecasts], Chapter 13, Page 13-16
[Weather Charts], Chapter 13, Page 16-18 [ATC Radar Weather Displays], Chapter 13, Page 18-23
[EFD/MFD/Datalink Weather]
● FAA AC 00-6B (Aviation Weather)
● FAA-S-ACS-6B (Private Pilot ACS) - Area I Task C
● FAA-S-ACS-7A (Commercial Pilot ACS) - Area I Task C
● FAA-S-8081-6D (CFI PTS) - Area III Task B
Ground Lesson Outline
● Importance of Weather Briefings
○ How to Get/Sources - FSS/National Weather Service
○ Standard Briefing - Adverse conditions, VFR not rec’d, Current conditions., forecasts, NOTAMs, etc.
○ Abbreviated Briefing - Changes to previous briefing
○ Outlook Briefing - More than 6 hours from departure, forecasted conditions
● Aviation Weather Products
○ Observations
■ METAR (Hourly or as-needed by SPECI), PIREPs
■ NEXRAD
■ Weather Depiction/Ceiling-Visibility Charts - Derived from METARs, every 3 hours,
IFR/VFR/MVFR
■ Surface Analysis/METAR Plot Charts - Every 3 hours, fronts/systems, temps/dew points, wind
dir/speed, sky cover
○ Forecasts
■ TAF (24/30 hours, every 6 hours), GFA Tool, Winds/Temperatures Aloft (Twice daily)
■ AIRMET - Every 6 Hours, Sierra (IFR/Mtn Obscuration), Tango (Turbulence/Winds/LLWS), Zulu
(Icing and Freezing Levels)
■ SIGMET - Unscheduled, Valid 4 Hours, Issued under Alphabetic ID, Non-Convective
■ Convective SIGMETs - Unscheduled, Valid 2 hours, Sequentially Numbered, Dangerous Conv.
■ Significant Weather Prog Charts - 12/24 hour or 36/48 hour. Shows large forecasted areas of
IFR, turbulence, etc.
● In-Flight Weather Sources
○ ATC - Weather Avoidance Assistance
■ AIRMET/SIGMET/Center Weather Advisories
■ ATC Radar Limitations - Light/Moderate/Heavy/Extreme
○ FSS - Communicate directly or by VORs
○ Datalink Weather
■ Limitations
● Aviation Weather Hazards
○ Atmospheric Stability, Frontal Systems, Wind Shear, Thunderstorms/Microbursts, Turbulence
○ Low Cloud Ceilings, Low Visibility (Mist, Smoke, Haze, Ash, Fog)
○ Frost, Icing
○ Temperature/Density Altitude
● Scenario-Based Training
○ Use of Real-time Weather Reports, Forecast, and Charts
○ Factors in making Go/No-Go Decisions
○ Personal Weather Minimums
Prepared by: Ryan Binns (ryancbinns.com/flying), March 2020 /
PPL (I-C) / CAX (I-C) / CFI (III-B)
3
Ground Lesson Content
● Importance of Weather Briefings
○ How to Get - FSS (1-800-WX-BRIEF)
○ Standard Briefing - Adverse conditions, when VFR not recommended, current conditions,
forecasts, NOTAMs, etc.
○ Abbreviated Briefing - Changes to previous briefing
○ Outlook Briefing - More than 6 hours from departure, forecasted conditions
● Aviation Weather Products - Primarily provided by the National Weather Service
○ Observations - Wind directions are referenced to true north.
■ METAR - Textual (coded) observation. Issued hourly or as-needed by SPECI. Contains
Wind Direction, Speed, Temperature, Dew Point, Altimeter setting, Cloud Cover,
Precipitation/Obscuration, etc.
● METAR KGGG 161753Z AUTO 14021G26KT 3/4SM +TSRA BR BKN008
OVC012CB 18/17 A2970 RMK PRESFR
■ PIREPs - Pilot reports. Submitted by pilots describing in flight conditions at a certain
location. Winds, temperatures, cloud layers, turbulence, etc.
● UA/OV GGG 090025/TM 1450/FL 060/TP C182/SK 080 OVC/WX FV04SM
RA/TA 05/WV 270030KT/TB LGT/RM HVY RAIN
Prepared by: Ryan Binns (ryancbinns.com/flying), March 2020 /
PPL (I-C) / CAX (I-C) / CFI (III-B)
4
■ NEXRAD - Composite image of radar (precipitation) from around the country.
■ Weather Depiction/Ceiling Visibility Charts - Derived from METARs, every 3 hours,
depicts areas of IFR / VFR / MVFR weather.
Prepared by: Ryan Binns (ryancbinns.com/flying), March 2020 /
PPL (I-C) / CAX (I-C) / CFI (III-B)
5
■ Surface Analysis/METAR Plot Charts - Every 3 hours, fronts/systems, temps/dew
points, wind dir/speed, sky cover
Prepared by: Ryan Binns (ryancbinns.com/flying), March 2020 /
PPL (I-C) / CAX (I-C) / CFI (III-B)
6
○ Forecasts
■ TAF - Terminal Aerodrome Forecast, a textual forecast, similar in format to a METAR.
Covers an area 5 statute miles around the field. Valid for 24/30 hours, issued every 6
hours.
■ GFA Tool - Textual Area Forecasts are no longer available, but there is a Graphical tool:
Prepared by: Ryan Binns (ryancbinns.com/flying), March 2020 /
PPL (I-C) / CAX (I-C) / CFI (III-B)
7
■ Winds/Temperatures Aloft - Issued twice daily, give winds and temps aloft at various
altitudes.
● Add 50 to Bearing = Wind > 99 knots, Less than 199 knots, >200 knots = 99
● Calm (< 5 knots) = 9900
■ AIRMET - Issued every 6 Hours. Three Types:
● AIRMET Sierra - Areas of IFR Weather/Mountain Obscuration
● AIRMET Tango - Turbulence/Winds/Low-Level Wind Shear
● AIRMET Zulu - Icing and Freezing Levels
■ SIGMET - Unscheduled, Valid 4 Hours, Issued under Alphabetic ID, Non-Convective
■ Convective SIGMETs - Unscheduled, Valid 2 hours, Sequentially Numbered,
Dangerous Conv.
■ Significant Weather Prog Charts - 12/24 hour or 36/48 hour. Shows large forecasted
areas of IFR, turbulence, etc.
Prepared by: Ryan Binns (ryancbinns.com/flying), March 2020 /
PPL (I-C) / CAX (I-C) / CFI (III-B)
8
● In-Flight Weather Sources
○ ATC Weather Avoidance Assistance - ATC can offer vectors around weather, or relay certain
weather information, such as:
■ AIRMET/SIGMETs
■ Center Weather Advisories - Often broadcast over ATC Center frequencies
■ ATC Radar Limitations - ATC Radar is not designed for weather surveillance, and is
limited in its capability. It cannot be used for tactical weather avoidance.
● ATC Radar can generally only indicate areas of Light, Moderate, Heavy, or
Extreme precipitation.
○ FSS - Communicate directly or by VORs
○ ATIS/AWOS - Recorded weather observations, either human (ATC/ATIS) created, or
automatically generated (AWOS). Wind directions are given relative to magnetic north.
○ Datalink Weather - ADS-B (FIS-B) data or XM WX (Satellite) data can provide displays in the
cockpit of METARs, TAFs, or even NEXRAD mosaic imagery.
■ Limitations - Major limitation is that it can be delayed by several minutes, and this
can create dangerous conditions in rapidly changing weather conditions. (e.g.
Thunderstorms)
● Aviation Weather Hazards - Common aviation weather-related hazards include:
○ Atmospheric (In)Stability - Likely to produce turbulence or thunderstorms.
○ Frontal Systems - Often produce dangerous wind shear and turbulence.
○ Wind Shear - Large change in wind direction over a small range of altitudes. Can be extremely
dangerous and create turbulence.
○ Thunderstorms/Microbursts - Extremely dangerous, strong updrafts and downdrafts
create extreme turbulence and can damage/crash aircraft!
○ Turbulence - Can cause discomfort for pilots and passengers or even damage aircraft, making
them difficult to control.
○ Low Cloud Ceilings - Areas of IFR weather are dangerous to VFR-only pilots since they may
be unable to descend.
○ Low Visibility (Mist, Smoke, Haze, Ash, Fog) - VFR pilots should avoid flying when Fog and
Mist are possible (temperature and dew point spread is small). Smoke and Ash can be
dangerous to airplanes!
○ Frost/Icing - Frost and Icing degrades the aerodynamic properties of a wing and causes them
to stall at an unpredictable angle of attack. Frost is especially insidious as it seems minor
but can cause disastrous results!
○ Temperature/Density Altitude - High density altitude reduces airplane performance.
Prepared by: Ryan Binns (ryancbinns.com/flying), March 2020 /
PPL (I-C) / CAX (I-C) / CFI (III-B)
9
● Scenario-Based Training - Instructors should provide real-world scenario-based training on weather
decisions, emphasizing go/no-go decision making skills.
○ Use of Real-time Weather Reports, Forecast, and Charts - The best scenarios involve real
weather reports and a real cross-country plan.
○ Factors in making Go/No-Go Decisions - Pilots must consider their own skill and proficiency
(VFR only, or IFR capable), plus the presence of aviation weather hazards.
○ Personal Weather Minimums - Every pilot should develop personal weather minimums
tailored to their own skill level, such as:
■ “I will not fly with a wind speed greater than 20 knots.”
■ “I will not fly when the crosswind component is greater than 10 knots.”
■ “I will not fly within 20 miles of thunderstorm activity.”
■ “I will not depart with a density altitude of over 5,000 ft.”
■ “I will not fly when the cloud ceilings are lower than 3,000 ft.”
Prepared by: Ryan Binns (ryancbinns.com/flying), March 2020 /
