Pilot Guides

Plain-English guides for the weather reports and flight-planning calculations pilots use most.

• How to Read a METAR ReportLearn how to read METAR reports, decode wind, visibility, weather, clouds, temperature and altimeter settings, and practice with AVIO's METAR decoder.
• How to Read a TAF ForecastA practical guide to reading TAF forecasts, validity periods, TEMPO, BECMG, FM and PROB groups.
• How to Calculate Crosswind ComponentUnderstand crosswind, headwind and tailwind components for runway planning and pilot training.
• What Is Density Altitudee and Why It MattersLearn what density altitude means, why hot and high airports reduce aircraft performance, and how pilots estimate it.
• How to Calculate Fuel Required for a VFR FlightA simple VFR fuel planning workflow covering time en route, fuel burn, taxi fuel and reserve fuel.