Student Pilot Guide
A simple student pilot weather checklist
Aviation weather can feel like a wall of abbreviations at first. A simple order helps: current conditions, forecast trend, wind, runway fit, visibility, clouds, and nearby traffic. FlightLen is designed to make that first scan easier while keeping the raw METAR and TAF available.
1. Start with the current METAR
Check the report time, wind, visibility, clouds, temperature, dew point, and altimeter. A report can be accurate but old enough that conditions are already changing, so time matters.
2. Compare the TAF
The TAF tells you what forecasters expect next. Look for FM, TEMPO, and PROB groups because they can show when wind, visibility, or ceilings are expected to change.
3. Think about runway direction
Wind close to the runway heading gives more headwind. Wind across the runway creates crosswind. Crosswind limits depend on the aircraft, pilot experience, runway surface, gusts, and school rules.
4. Look at nearby traffic
Live traffic is not a replacement for looking outside or listening to radios, but it can help students understand which airports are busy and what kinds of aircraft are operating nearby.
This checklist is educational. Before flying, use your instructor, official weather briefings, NOTAMs, charts, aircraft documents, and local procedures.