Study podcast · Episode 3

Weather: METARs, TAFs, and density altitude

The physics that affect a light aircraft, plus how to decode the two coded text products the exam puts in front of you.

~15 min · Full transcript below

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Weather: METARs, TAFs, and density altitude

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We're recording this episode now. In the meantime, the full transcript below is the complete study material: read it like a written guide, or use the chapter list to jump to a topic.

Chapters

1. Two kinds of weather questions0:00
2. Density altitude: hot and high equals weak1:50
3. Stable versus unstable air4:40
4. Decoding a METAR field by field7:00
5. TAFs and the dewpoint trick11:00
6. Recap and outro14:15

TranscriptFull episode text with timestamps: the complete written study guide.

Transcript content is original study material derived from FAA sources (14 CFR Part 107 and FAA UAS guidance), current as of June 2026. Educational, not legal advice. Verify current rules at faa.gov/uas before you fly.