Decoding the METAR, the Surface Observation Line You Read First and the Remarks Section Everybody Skips
Learn to decode a METAR front to back - from the station ID to the remarks section most pilots skip - so you can brief real weather fast.
Patternpreflight planning
The TAF, the Terminal Aerodrome Forecast, and the FM, TEMPO, and PROB Groups That Tell You When the Weather Is Actually Going to Change
Learn to decode a TAF and its FM, TEMPO, and PROB change groups so weather never surprises you at your destination.
PatternThe Standard Briefing, the Order Flight Service Reads It In, and Why Adverse Conditions Always Comes First
A pilot's guide to the standard weather briefing - the exact order it comes in, and why adverse conditions always leads.
PatternThe Pilot Report, the PIREP, and Why the One Weather Product Written by Pilots Is the One Most Pilots Never File
Learn how to read, trust, and file a PIREP - the only weather product written by pilots - to turn forecasts into real go/no-go decisions.
PatternThe METAR, Decoding the Hourly Weather Observation Line by Line, and Why the Remarks Section Hides the Story Nobody Reads
Learn to decode a METAR field by field - and why the remarks section holds the weather story most pilots never read.
PatternThe PAVE Checklist, the Preflight Risk Screen That Sorts Your Hazards Into Pilot, Aircraft, Environment, and External Pressure Before You Ever Start the Engine
The PAVE checklist sorts preflight risk into Pilot, Aircraft, Environment, and External pressure so you can catch a dangerous stack before you fly.
PatternThe Standard Briefing, One Eight Hundred W X Brief, and the Nine Items Flight Service Reads You in the Same Order Every Time
A standard weather briefing always delivers the same nine items in the same order - here's how to follow, record, and act on every one.
PatternThe TAF, the Terminal Aerodrome Forecast, and Decoding the FM and TEMPO Lines Before You Launch on a Cross-Country
Learn to read a raw Terminal Aerodrome Forecast line by line, including the FM, TEMPO, and PROB change groups, before your next cross-country.
PatternNinety-One One Oh Three, Preflight Action, and the Law That Says You Must Read the Whole Oshkosh NOTAM Before You Ever Touch the Runway
FAR 91.103 legally requires pilots to read the entire Oshkosh AirVenture NOTAM before flying to Wittman Field. Here's how to comply.
PatternNinety-One One Oh Three and the Duty to Become Familiar With All Available Information, Starting With That Thirty-Two Page Oshkosh NOTAM
FAR 91.103 requires pilots to review all available information before a flight - including the 32-page Oshkosh AirVenture NOTAM.
PatternThe Standard Weather Briefing and the Go or No-Go Call on the Cross-Country to Oshkosh
A step-by-step guide to the standard weather briefing and making a confident go/no-go call on a cross-country to Oshkosh.
PatternDecoding the METAR and the coded line of weather that is already happening over the field
Learn to read a METAR start to finish - wind, visibility, ceiling, dewpoint, and altimeter - so you can make a confident go/no-go decision.
PatternFAR ninety-one dot one oh three and the preflight action requirement that covers everything you forgot to look up
FAR 91.103 requires pilots to review all available information before every flight - here's what that actually means in practice.
PatternThe standard weather briefing and the six sections that build your go or no-go decision
Learn the six sections of a standard weather briefing and how each one feeds your go or no-go decision before flight.
PatternThe Chart Supplement and decoding an unfamiliar airport before you ever see the runway
Learn how to read the FAA Chart Supplement to decode any unfamiliar airport before you fly there.
PatternDecoding your first METAR and the weather shorthand every pilot has to speak
Learn to decode every element of a METAR report with this step-by-step guide for student and private pilots.
PatternFAR ninety-one dot one oh three and the most important regulation you're probably not following all the way
FAR 91.103 requires pilots to review all available information before every flight - here's what that actually means in practice.
PatternCalling Flight Service and getting your first standard weather briefing
Learn exactly how to call Flight Service for a standard weather briefing, what to expect, and how to analyze the results.
PatternHow to read a METAR like a pilot, not a decoder ring
Learn to read METARs like a pilot by turning raw weather data into real go/no-go flight decisions.
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