FAA Remote Pilot Study Guide 2025 - Part 10 of 12

Key Topics

Type: Real-time current weather report
Issued: Every hour or every 55 minutes past the hour
Validity: 1 hour
Purpose: Immediate flight planning, real-time weather snapshot
Special Reports: Speci report for significant weather changes impacting safety

Zulu Time (UTC): Universal time standard in aviation
Usage: Consistent global reference, unaffected by local time zones or daylight savings

MEAR: Used for immediate weather conditions and flight safety checks before departure
TAF: Used for planning weather conditions around an airport for future flight operations

TAF: Terminal Aerodrome Forecast identifier
AO Code: Airport identifier (e.g., JFK for New York)
Date and Time: First two numbers represent the day, followed by time in Zulu
Validity Period: Represented by sequences like 12/12 or 12/18
Wind Direction and Speed: Indicates where wind is coming from and its speed in knots
Visibility: P6SM indicates visibility greater than six statute miles
Clouds: BKN indicates broken clouds, with altitude represented by adding two zeros to the end (e.g., 040 = 4000 ft AGL)
FM (From): Indicates a change from a specific time forward

AGL vs MSL: AGL used for ground-based reports; not MSL since it’s ground-reference
Standardization: Consistent use of Zulu time even if 'Z' is omitted

Understanding and decoding reports: Essential for FAA part 107 exam
Next Steps: Continue watching upcoming parts for comprehensive exam preparation