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Drone Authority
Drone anti-collision light visible against changing weather and low lightMETAR / TAF

Part 107 weather lab

Read the report. Make the flight call.

Tap through real report groups, follow a TAF timeline, rebuild the weather with sliders, and decide whether the mission still has legal and operational margin.

Open the decoder

The mental model

Observation first. Forecast second. Decision last.

A METAR tells you what a station observed. A TAF tells you how that airport area may change. Neither one decides the flight for you.

METAR

Current observed weather at a reporting station.

TAF

Forecast conditions across a stated valid window.

Check issuance and validity

Old weather is not current weather.

Interactive weather desk

Decode, predict, then reveal the answer.

Start with the raw report. Tap each group, make the mission call, and only then read the explanation. The controls are deliberately constrained to plausible training values.

Weather mission lab

Decode METARs and TAFs like a flight decision

METAR repetition deck

Showers nearby

Launch from a park near Falcon Field for a 20 minute roof inspection.

Raw METAR

KFFZ 121953Z 16015G25KT 4SM -SHRA BKN018 33/31 A2992 RMK AO2

Tap a weather group

Wind

Wind from 160 degrees true at 15 kt, gusting 25 kt. Gust spread matters for a small UAS.

Gusts are often the first drone-specific risk inside an otherwise legal report.

Decode check

Which pair should make you slow down before launching?

TAF timeline trainer

Temporary showers

You can fly before lunch, but your planned window overlaps a temporary shower group.

Raw TAF

TAF KFFZ 121720Z 1218/1318 16012KT P6SM SCT060 TEMPO 1220/1223 4SM -SHRA BKN018 FM130200 09006KT P6SM SKC

16012KT P6SM SCT060

Wind from 160 at 12 kt, more than 6 SM visibility, scattered clouds at 6,000 ft.

Workable if this were the only line.

Air mass and front trainer

Smooth ride, poor visibility

Expect stratus clouds, haze, fog risk, and less vertical mixing. Good for smooth control, bad for seeing and cloud clearance.

METAR builder

16015G25KT 4SM BKN018 33/31

Move the controls below and watch the coded weather groups change.

Drone readout

Caution

Temp/dewpoint spread: 2 C

24%

Visibility vs 3 SM minimum: 4 SM

100%

Altitude room below clouds: 1300 ft

100%

Your call first

Pick the answer before you read the explanation.

Exam move

METAR is current weather. TAF is forecast weather. Wind is true degrees and knots. Ceiling starts at the lowest broken or overcast layer.

METAR mission call

Make the call on Showers nearby before reading the reason.

Your call first

Pick the answer before you read the explanation.

TAF mission call

Read the forecast groups, then decide whether the planned window is clean enough.

Your call first

Pick the answer before you read the explanation.

Small temp/dewpoint spread: fog or haze risk.

Gusts may exceed a small drone's control margin.

Scratch-pad sequence

Read the groups from left to right.

Do not translate the entire string at once. Put a slash between the groups, label each one, and circle the first item that can change the flight decision.

  1. 01

    Report and station

    METAR KMSN

    Observed report from the station identified by the four-letter code.

  2. 02

    Time

    191653Z

    Day 19 at 1653 UTC. Z means Zulu or UTC time.

  3. 03

    Wind

    24015G25KT

    From 240 degrees true at 15 knots, gusting 25 knots.

  4. 04

    Visibility

    4SM

    Four statute miles of prevailing visibility.

  5. 05

    Weather

    -RA BR

    Light rain and mist. Intensity signs belong before the phenomenon.

  6. 06

    Sky

    BKN018

    Broken clouds at 1,800 feet AGL. BKN and OVC can establish a ceiling.

  7. 07

    Temperature

    18/16

    Temperature 18 C and dewpoint 16 C. A tight spread can flag fog risk.

  8. 08

    Altimeter and remarks

    A2992 RMK

    29.92 inches of mercury, followed by any coded remarks.

Drone decision lens

Decode only what changes the mission first.

Visibility

Part 107 requires at least 3 statute miles of flight visibility from the control station.

Cloud clearance

Stay 500 feet below and 2,000 feet horizontally from clouds. The lowest BKN, OVC, or VV layer is the ceiling clue.

Wind and gusts

Compare steady wind and gust spread with the aircraft manual, site turbulence, return leg, and battery reserve.

Trend and margin

A legal observation can still be a bad launch. Read the TAF, nearby reports, radar, NOTAMs, and the mission's recovery options.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a METAR and a TAF?
A METAR is an aviation weather observation for conditions at or near a reporting station. A TAF is a forecast for the airport area over a stated valid period. Use the METAR for what is being observed now and the TAF for how the planned window may change.
Are METAR cloud heights AGL or MSL?
METAR cloud-base groups are reported in hundreds of feet above ground level at the reporting station. BKN018 means a broken layer at 1,800 feet AGL, not 1,800 feet MSL.
What counts as a ceiling in a METAR?
The ceiling is the lowest layer reported as broken, overcast, or vertical visibility. Few and scattered layers do not establish a ceiling, although they can still matter to the flight decision.
Is a METAR enough for a drone preflight?
No. A METAR is one observation at one station and time. A remote pilot should use all available relevant information, including forecasts, radar, winds, NOTAMs, TFRs, airspace, site conditions, and the aircraft's operating limits.
What are the Part 107 weather minimums?
Section 107.51 requires at least 3 statute miles of flight visibility and the drone to remain at least 500 feet below and 2,000 feet horizontally from clouds.

Make it stick

Use the decoder, then answer without it.

Move from the lab into focused weather questions. Return to the full module only when an explanation exposes a broader weather gap.

Answer weather questions Open the weather module