NIFE WEATHER LATEST 2026 EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔What are some flight techniques in the vicinity of thunderstorms? - ✔✔(1) If at all
possible, avoid thunderstorms
2) Do not venture closer than 20 miles to any storm cloud with overhanging anvil
3) If at all possible, avoid flying under thunderstorms because of updrafts and
downdrafts
4) Do not takeoff or land when a thunderstorm is approaching (possible microbursts)
Priority should be:
1) Fly around (if storm is isolated)
2) Fly over (if your a/c can) (1,000'/10 knots of wind)
3) Fly under (choose altitude 1/3 of distance between ceiling and surface)
If not possible, fly through the lower 1/3 of the storm
✔✔What is flight visibility? - ✔✔Average forward horizontal distance, measured in
statute miles, from the cockpit of an aircraft in flight, at which a pilot can see and identify
prominent unlighted objects by day and prominent lighted objects at night
✔✔What is prevailing visibility? - ✔✔-The greatest horizontal visibility, measured in
statute miles, equaled or exceeded throughout at least half the horizon circle (180
degrees), which need not be continuous
✔✔What is Slant Range Visibility? - ✔✔-Distance on final approach when the runway
environment is insight
-Often not provided because of great difficulty in estimating or measuring it from the
ground
-RVR is best indication of Slant Range Visibility
✔✔What is Runway Visual Range (RVR)? - ✔✔Horizontal distance, expressed in
hundreds of feet or meters a pilot will see looking down the runway from the approach
end
✔✔What is a ceiling? - ✔✔Height AGL ascribed to the lowest broken or overcast layer;
or the vertical visibility into an obscuring phenomenon
✔✔What are the reportable contractions for sky coverage and what amount of sky cover
are they associated with? - ✔✔SKC/CLR: 0/8
FEW: >0/8 - 2/8
SKT: 3/8-4/8
BKN: 5/8-7/8
OVC: 8/8
VV: 8/8 (for surface based obscuration)
, ✔✔What is vertical visibility? - ✔✔-Distance that can be seen directly upward from the
ground into a surface based obscuring phenomenon
-Obscuring phenomenon restricts visibility more so than just a cloud ceiling would
✔✔What is a Surface Analysis Chart? - ✔✔-Depicts pressure centers, fronts, and
barometric pressure lines
-Observed weather, meaning that the chart represents past history and IS NOT a
forecast
-Valid time is the observation time of information in UTC (Zulu)
✔✔What is a Prognostic Chart? - ✔✔-These charts include the latest surface analysis
along with multiple forecasts for up to a week
-Forecasts depict predicted positions of fronts and pressure centers as well as forecast
weather across the country
✔✔Station Model Information (flip for picture) - ✔✔
✔✔What is a METAR? - ✔✔-An hourly routing scheduled observation containing wind,
visibility, runway visual range, present weather, sky conditions temperature/dew point,
altimeter settings, etc
✔✔METAR (KNSE) 081856Z VRB03KT 10SM R04/5000FT SCT025 BKN085 BKN150
31/24 A3000 RMK AO2 SLP142 VCSH SE T03060239 $
What does the enclosed item indicate? - ✔✔Group 2: Station Indicator (NAS Whiting
Field)
Uses a 4-letter ICAO code (CONUS stations prefixed with a "K")
✔✔METAR KNSE (081856Z) VRB03KT 10SM R04/5000FT SCT025 BKN085 BKN150
31/24 A3000 RMK AO2 SLP142 VCSH SE T03060239 $
What does the enclosed item indicate? - ✔✔Group 3: Date Time Group and Report
Modifier
Date: 8th day of the month (first two numbers)
Time: 1856Z (next four numbers)
Potential Modifiers: COR (if METAR is corrected) or AUTO (if report was sent from an
automated station)
Manual observations can be started no earlier than 15 minutes before reporting time
ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔What are some flight techniques in the vicinity of thunderstorms? - ✔✔(1) If at all
possible, avoid thunderstorms
2) Do not venture closer than 20 miles to any storm cloud with overhanging anvil
3) If at all possible, avoid flying under thunderstorms because of updrafts and
downdrafts
4) Do not takeoff or land when a thunderstorm is approaching (possible microbursts)
Priority should be:
1) Fly around (if storm is isolated)
2) Fly over (if your a/c can) (1,000'/10 knots of wind)
3) Fly under (choose altitude 1/3 of distance between ceiling and surface)
If not possible, fly through the lower 1/3 of the storm
✔✔What is flight visibility? - ✔✔Average forward horizontal distance, measured in
statute miles, from the cockpit of an aircraft in flight, at which a pilot can see and identify
prominent unlighted objects by day and prominent lighted objects at night
✔✔What is prevailing visibility? - ✔✔-The greatest horizontal visibility, measured in
statute miles, equaled or exceeded throughout at least half the horizon circle (180
degrees), which need not be continuous
✔✔What is Slant Range Visibility? - ✔✔-Distance on final approach when the runway
environment is insight
-Often not provided because of great difficulty in estimating or measuring it from the
ground
-RVR is best indication of Slant Range Visibility
✔✔What is Runway Visual Range (RVR)? - ✔✔Horizontal distance, expressed in
hundreds of feet or meters a pilot will see looking down the runway from the approach
end
✔✔What is a ceiling? - ✔✔Height AGL ascribed to the lowest broken or overcast layer;
or the vertical visibility into an obscuring phenomenon
✔✔What are the reportable contractions for sky coverage and what amount of sky cover
are they associated with? - ✔✔SKC/CLR: 0/8
FEW: >0/8 - 2/8
SKT: 3/8-4/8
BKN: 5/8-7/8
OVC: 8/8
VV: 8/8 (for surface based obscuration)
, ✔✔What is vertical visibility? - ✔✔-Distance that can be seen directly upward from the
ground into a surface based obscuring phenomenon
-Obscuring phenomenon restricts visibility more so than just a cloud ceiling would
✔✔What is a Surface Analysis Chart? - ✔✔-Depicts pressure centers, fronts, and
barometric pressure lines
-Observed weather, meaning that the chart represents past history and IS NOT a
forecast
-Valid time is the observation time of information in UTC (Zulu)
✔✔What is a Prognostic Chart? - ✔✔-These charts include the latest surface analysis
along with multiple forecasts for up to a week
-Forecasts depict predicted positions of fronts and pressure centers as well as forecast
weather across the country
✔✔Station Model Information (flip for picture) - ✔✔
✔✔What is a METAR? - ✔✔-An hourly routing scheduled observation containing wind,
visibility, runway visual range, present weather, sky conditions temperature/dew point,
altimeter settings, etc
✔✔METAR (KNSE) 081856Z VRB03KT 10SM R04/5000FT SCT025 BKN085 BKN150
31/24 A3000 RMK AO2 SLP142 VCSH SE T03060239 $
What does the enclosed item indicate? - ✔✔Group 2: Station Indicator (NAS Whiting
Field)
Uses a 4-letter ICAO code (CONUS stations prefixed with a "K")
✔✔METAR KNSE (081856Z) VRB03KT 10SM R04/5000FT SCT025 BKN085 BKN150
31/24 A3000 RMK AO2 SLP142 VCSH SE T03060239 $
What does the enclosed item indicate? - ✔✔Group 3: Date Time Group and Report
Modifier
Date: 8th day of the month (first two numbers)
Time: 1856Z (next four numbers)
Potential Modifiers: COR (if METAR is corrected) or AUTO (if report was sent from an
automated station)
Manual observations can be started no earlier than 15 minutes before reporting time
