Weather
How to read a TAF for the Part 107 test
A TAF is a forecast for the area within about 5 statute miles of an airport. It starts with a base forecast and then adds change groups: FM for a rapid change at a stated time, BECMG for a gradual change, TEMPO for brief fluctuations and PROB for a probability. Use it to plan, then check the latest METAR before you fly.
What does a TAF look like?
Constructed example for learning, not a real forecast: TAF KXYZ 121720Z 1218/1324 27010KT P6SM SCT040 FM130200 22008KT 3SM BR BKN010 TEMPO 1306/1310 1SM FG.
| Part | Reads as |
|---|---|
| 121720Z | Issued day 12 at 17:20 UTC |
| 1218/1324 | Valid from day 12 at 18:00 to day 13 at 24:00 UTC |
| 27010KT P6SM SCT040 | Wind 270 at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 SM, scattered at 4,000 ft AGL |
| FM130200 ... | From 02:00 UTC on the 13th, wind 220 at 8, 3 SM mist, broken at 1,000 ft |
| TEMPO 1306/1310 1SM FG | Between 06:00 and 10:00 UTC, temporarily 1 SM in fog |
Always confirm the date and time. The FAA key warns that FM 10 0000 means 0000Z on the 10th, which is not the same as 1000Z (AIM chapter 7, section 1, checked 2026-11-14).
How is a TAF different from a METAR?
| METAR | TAF | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Observation of current weather | Forecast |
| Area | At the reporting station | About 5 SM around the airport |
| Time | Issued about hourly | Typically every six hours, valid 24 or 30 hours |
The FAA study guide says a TAF is established for the five statute mile radius around an airport, is valid for 24 or 30 hours, and is updated four times a day at 0000Z, 0600Z, 1200Z and 1800Z. AIM chapter 7 says TAFs are valid for 24 or 30 hours and amended as required, and are prepared by National Weather Service forecast offices for over 700 airports. Not every small airport has one, so for many fields you rely on a nearby TAF and the actual METAR or your own observation. Sources: FAA Remote Pilot sUAS Study Guide (FAA-G-8082-22), chapter 3a; AIM chapter 7, section 1 (both checked 2026-11-14).
What do the change groups mean?
| Group | Meaning | Use it like this |
|---|---|---|
| FM | From a stated day, hour and minute, a rapid and significant change, usually within an hour; conditions before it no longer apply | Treat everything after the FM time as a new base forecast |
| BECMG | Becoming: a gradual change expected within the stated period. NWS TAFs leave it out (AIM key), but it appears in international and military TAFs and in older test figures | Plan for the old conditions at the start and the new ones at the end |
| TEMPO | Temporary fluctuations lasting less than 1 hour each time and, in total, less than half of the stated period | Check whether the worst case would break your limits |
| PROB30 / PROB40 | A 30 or 40 percent chance of the stated conditions in the stated period | A small chance of bad weather still counts for a go or no-go |
The AIM key explains TEMPO as changes expected for under one hour and, in total, under half of the period between its two date-hour groups, PROB30 and PROB40 as the probability of the condition in that period, and BECMG as the change expected in the period between the two groups. The study guide adds that FM is used for a rapid, significant change usually within an hour, and that PROB30 is not used for the first six hours of a 24-hour forecast. Sources: AIM chapter 7, section 1; FAA-G-8082-22 chapter 3a (checked 2026-11-14).
How do I decode the sky, visibility and wind groups?
- Wind: five digits plus KT, such as 27010KT for 270 degrees true at 10 knots. A G adds gusts, as in 30015G25KT.
- Visibility: statute miles. P6SM means more than 6 SM. Fractions appear for low values, such as 1/2SM.
- Weather: same codes as a METAR, such as BR (mist), FG (fog), -RA (light rain), TSRA (thunderstorm with rain). NSW means no significant weather.
- Sky: SCT, BKN and OVC followed by three digits in hundreds of feet above ground level. BKN010 is a broken layer at 1,000 ft AGL. Only cumulonimbus (CB) is forecast as a cloud type in this group.
- Wind shear: a WS group such as WS010/31022KT forecasts low-level shear at 1,000 ft with a 310 degree, 22 knot wind. It matters for crewed aircraft near the field and is a flag for caution if you fly close to the airport.
Cloud heights in a TAF are above ground level, which is the same reference Part 107 uses for the 400 ft limit and for cloud clearance. That saves you an MSL conversion on this step, unlike on a sectional chart. Sources: study guide chapter 3a; AIM key to TAF and METAR (checked 2026-11-14).
How do I use a TAF for a Part 107 plan?
Find the forecast period for your flight window, check that predicted visibility stays at or above 3 SM and cloud bases leave the clearance Part 107 needs, then watch for TEMPO and PROB groups that could break the limits. The TAF's visibility is for the airport, so it supports the plan but never replaces your own observation at the site.
The numbers to hold in your head come from 14 CFR 107.51: flight visibility at least 3 statute miles as observed from the control station, 500 ft below any cloud and 2,000 ft horizontally from it, and a ceiling of 400 ft AGL unless you are within a 400 ft radius of a structure.
Sources (checked 2026-11-12): FAA Aviation Weather Handbook; 14 CFR 107.51 (eCFR).
Worked example
Planning a 06:00 to 08:00 UTC flight from a TAF
Say you want to fly a 400 ft AGL survey from 06:00 to 08:00 UTC on the 13th, using the example TAF above. Check each group that covers that window:
| Window | Group in force | Visibility | Lowest cloud | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06:00 to 08:00 UTC, base forecast after FM130200 | 22008KT 3SM BR BKN010 | 3 SM, exactly the minimum | Broken at 1,000 ft AGL | Cloud: 1,000 ft minus 500 ft below gives 500 ft, so 400 ft AGL clears it. Visibility is at the minimum with no margin |
| 06:00 to 10:00 UTC, TEMPO | 1SM FG | 1 SM | Not stated | Below 3 SM: the flight would not be legal if this occurs |
The base forecast squeaks through, but the TEMPO group says visibility may drop to 1 SM during the same window. A careful plan moves the flight to the start of the window, sets a go or no-go point, checks the latest METAR for KXYZ and trusts what you see at the site. The cloud math used 500 ft clearance below the base: 1,000 ft base minus 500 ft leaves 500 ft, which is above your 400 ft AGL altitude, so cloud clearance is met.
What are worked TAF practice decodes?
Worked example
Decode this line by line
Constructed for practice: TAF KABC 150530Z 1506/1606 18012G22KT P6SM FEW040 BKN250 FM151800 20015G25KT P6SM SCT040 PROB30 1520/1524 3SM TSRA BKN030CB.
- 150530Z: issued on the 15th at 05:30 UTC.
- 1506/1606: valid from the 15th at 06:00 to the 16th at 06:00, a 24-hour TAF.
- 18012G22KT: wind from 180 at 12, gusting to 22. Gusts that high deserve a hard look at your aircraft's wind limit.
- FM151800: from 18:00 UTC on the 15th, wind 200 at 15 gusting 25, scattered at 4,000 ft AGL.
- PROB30 1520/1524 3SM TSRA BKN030CB: a 30 percent chance between 20:00 and 24:00 UTC on the 15th of 3 SM visibility in a thunderstorm with rain and broken cumulonimbus at 3,000 ft AGL.
For a drone flight at 21:00 UTC on the 15th, the base forecast looks fine, but a 30 percent chance of a thunderstorm is enough to plan a different time or an early cancel. A thunderstorm brings gusts, lightning and low visibility, none of which a small drone handles well. The deeper hazards are in thunderstorms and microbursts.
What are common TAF traps on the test?
- Valid period digits. 1218/1324 means day 12 at 18 to day 13 at 24, not times of 12:18 and 13:24.
- Midnight. A period ending at midnight UTC is written 24, and one beginning at midnight is 00.
- UTC against local time. TAF times are UTC; convert to local time before you compare them to your plan.
- TEMPO is not the whole period. It describes short fluctuations, but the worst case still counts when it falls in your window.
- The TAF is not your site. It covers the airport area, so check the METAR and what you see (METAR guide).
For the fuller list of codes, see the METAR and TAF abbreviations cheat sheet, and the free pilot weather tools at the Aviation Weather Center, which AC 107-2A also recommends for METAR and TAF (checked 2026-11-14).
How often should I recheck a TAF?
The study guide says TAFs are updated four times a day at 0000Z, 0600Z, 1200Z and 1800Z, and AIM chapter 7 says they are amended as required. An amended forecast is labeled TAF AMD. On a flight day, read the newest TAF the morning of the flight and again shortly before launch, then compare it with the latest METAR. If the METAR is already worse than the TAF predicted for that hour, trust the observation and the sky you can see. Sources: study guide chapter 3a and AIM chapter 7, section 1, checked 2026-11-14.
Free practice questions on this topic
2 original questions from the Sectional Cue bank. Try each one, then open the answer.
Weather sources
1. What can a remote pilot find on aviationweather.gov?
- METARs, TAFs, PIREPs and other aviation weather products
- LAANC airspace authorizations for controlled airspace
- Drone registration certificates for Part 107 operators
Show answer and explanation
A. METARs, TAFs, PIREPs and other aviation weather products
Aviationweather.gov is the Aviation Weather Center website, which publishes METARs, TAFs, pilot reports and other aviation weather products. LAANC authorizations come through FAA-approved service suppliers, not that site. Drone registration is done through FAADroneZone.
Source: PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Chapter 13
Visibility and haze
2. The METAR for an airport next to a planned job site reports 2 1/2SM HZ. What should the remote pilot conclude?
- Visibility is likely below the 3 SM Part 107 minimum, so the flight should not go as planned
- Haze does not count toward the visibility limit, so the flight can proceed
- The 3 SM minimum applies only above 400 ft AGL, so the flight can proceed
Show answer and explanation
A. Visibility is likely below the 3 SM Part 107 minimum, so the flight should not go as planned
Part 107 requires at least 3 SM flight visibility from the control station, and a nearby report of 2 1/2 SM shows conditions below that. Haze is a visibility restriction like any other and counts fully. The 3 SM minimum applies at all altitudes, not only above 400 ft.
Source: PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Chapter 13; 14 CFR 107.51(c)
Related guides
- How to read a METAR for the Part 107 test
- Weather for drone pilots: what the Part 107 test expects
- Part 107 operating rules: altitude, speed, visibility and clouds
- METAR and TAF abbreviations cheat sheet for the Part 107 test
- All Part 107 guides
Study the charts on your phone
Sectional Cue has 1150+ original questions with explanations, 27 FAA figures you can tap to read, and timed 60-question rehearsals. About 152 questions and three chart lessons are free.
Sources
- FAA Aviation Weather Handbook, checked 2026-11-14
- Aviation Weather Center, checked 2026-11-14
- FAA airman testing supplements (FAA-CT-8080-2H), checked 2026-11-14
- FAA Remote Pilot sUAS Study Guide (FAA-G-8082-22), checked 2026-11-14
- FAA Aeronautical Information Manual, checked 2026-11-14
- 14 CFR 107.51 (eCFR), checked 2026-11-14
How this page was made: written by Certloom Learning from the sources above, with the rules checked against the current regulation text. Practice items are original questions from the app's reviewed bank. Spot an error? certloomlearning@gmail.com.