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Weather for drone pilots: what the Part 107 test expects

Last updated 2026-11-12 · Published by Certloom Learning · Sources

Weather is only about 5 percent of the UAG test but it affects every flight. Know that fronts change wind, temperature and pressure, that haze and fog cut visibility below the 3 SM minimum, that frost on surfaces hurts performance, and that aviationweather.gov is the main source for METARs, TAFs and pilot reports.

What do fronts change?

A front separates air masses, so passing one brings a change in wind direction along with temperature and pressure changes. Better visibility alone does not mark a front, and rising humidity can happen without one.

What is a ceiling?

The height above ground of the lowest broken or overcast layer. With several layers, a thin higher layer does not set the ceiling; the lowest BKN or OVC does. Part 107 cloud clearance still applies to any cloud, not only to a ceiling.

How do pressure systems affect a flight?

Low pressure tends to bring cloud and precipitation, high pressure generally clearer conditions. Pressure also matters for performance: a low altimeter setting raises pressure altitude and density altitude, which lowers lift and thrust. See loading and performance.

Why does frost matter?

Frost on a propeller, wing or airframe disturbs airflow and reduces lift, so clear it before flight. Batteries also lose capacity in the cold.

Which sources should I use?

NeedSource
Current airport weatherMETAR at aviationweather.gov
ForecastTAF and forecast products
Pilot reportsPIREPs on aviationweather.gov
Local site conditionsYour own observation at the control station

Sources (checked 2026-11-12): Aviation Weather Center; FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge.

Free practice questions on this topic

6 original questions from the Sectional Cue bank. Try each one, then open the answer.

Low pressure systems
1. Forecasts show a low-pressure area moving over a planned work site tomorrow. What weather should the remote pilot expect?

  1. Rising air, more clouds and likely precipitation
  2. Sinking air with clearing skies and good visibility
  3. Calm winds and unlimited visibility all day
Show answer and explanation

A. Rising air, more clouds and likely precipitation

Air converges and rises in a low, cooling to saturation, so lows bring clouds and precipitation. Sinking air and clearing skies are typical of a high. A passing low often brings stronger winds, not calm and unlimited visibility.

Source: PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Chapter 12

Frost formation
2. Under what conditions does frost form on a drone left outside overnight?

  1. The surface cools to a dewpoint that is below freezing
  2. Rain falls onto a surface that is colder than freezing
  3. Humid air touches a surface that stays above freezing
Show answer and explanation

A. The surface cools to a dewpoint that is below freezing

Frost forms when a surface is at or below the dewpoint of the adjacent air and that dewpoint is below freezing, so water vapor deposits directly as ice. Rain freezing on contact forms glaze ice, not frost. If the surface stays above freezing, moisture condenses as dew rather than frost.

Source: PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Chapter 12

Frontal passage
3. What set of changes marks the passage of a front over a site?

  1. A rise in visibility with no change in wind or temperature
  2. A steady increase in humidity with no change in wind
  3. A shift in wind direction along with changes in temperature and pressure
Show answer and explanation

C. A shift in wind direction along with changes in temperature and pressure

Fronts separate air masses, so crossing one brings a change in wind direction, temperature and pressure. Better visibility alone, with no change in wind or temperature, does not mark a front. Rising humidity alone can occur without any front.

Source: PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Chapter 12

Surface friction
4. A remote pilot measures a 6-knot wind at the launch point and plans to fly at 350 ft AGL. What should the pilot expect aloft?

  1. Probably a stronger wind, since friction slows wind near the ground
  2. A weaker wind, since wind speed dies off with height above ground
  3. The same wind, since wind does not change in the first 400 ft
Show answer and explanation

A. Probably a stronger wind, since friction slows wind near the ground

Friction with terrain, trees and buildings slows the wind near the surface, so wind speed usually increases with height above the ground. Assuming the wind weakens with height has the effect backwards. Wind often changes noticeably within the first few hundred feet.

Source: PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Chapter 12

Weather sources
5. What can a remote pilot find on aviationweather.gov?

  1. METARs, TAFs, PIREPs and other aviation weather products
  2. LAANC airspace authorizations for controlled airspace
  3. 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

Ceiling with several layers
6. A METAR reports FEW008 SCT015 BKN030 OVC070. What is the ceiling?

  1. 800 ft AGL
  2. 3,000 ft AGL
  3. 7,000 ft AGL
Show answer and explanation

B. 3,000 ft AGL

The ceiling is the lowest broken or overcast layer, which is BKN030 at 3,000 ft AGL. The 800 ft layer is FEW and the 1,500 ft layer is scattered, and neither counts as a ceiling. The 7,000 ft overcast is above the lowest broken layer, so it is not the ceiling.

Source: PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Chapter 13

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Sources

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.