Safety Quiz

AOPA Air Safety Foundation

ASF Safety Quiz
Funded by The Sporty's Foundation.

METARs: Beyond Translation

All pilots learn to decode METARs (aviation routine weather reports) early in their training, but simply being able to translate the codes isn't enough: It's important to understand what all the information means—and how to incorporate it into your preflight planning and decision making. For example, what effect will "VV010" have on your go/no-go decision? This ASF Safety Quiz will test your knowledge on the ins and outs of METARs.

1. A METAR provides ____.

2. The two types of METAR-encoded aviation weather reports are routine and ____.

3. It's currently 4:30 p.m. The next routine METAR report will be available in ____ minutes.

4. Reported winds in a METAR are in reference to ____.

5. When is wind reported as variable?

6. In order to qualify as a ceiling, the sky condition has to be reported as at least ____.

7. Cloud layers are reported in ____.

8. The type of visibility reported in METARs is the ____.

9. METARs report visibility in ____.

10. Weather reported as being in the vicinity (VC) is between ____ and ____statute miles from the reporting station.

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