Part 107 Test / Study guides

How to read a METAR for the Part 107 test

Updated October 6, 2026 · 3 min read · Checked against the FAA Aviation Weather Handbook and the Remote Pilot Study Guide

In short: a METAR is an airport's weather observation, written in a fixed order: station, time, wind, visibility, weather, clouds, temperature and dew point, altimeter, then remarks. Learn the order and each group decodes on its own.

Every METAR on the Part 107 test comes from one figure in the FAA testing supplement, and you will have it in front of you. You do not need to memorize reports; you need to read them quickly and without mixing up units. Try the decoder below with the five reports from that figure, then read the walkthrough.

    The groups, in order

    Here is one report from the test, decoded group by group:

    SPECI KMDW 121856Z 32005KT 1 1/2SM RA OVC007 17/16 A2980 RMK RAB35
    GroupMeaning
    SPECIA special report, issued because the weather changed significantly. A routine hourly report says METAR.
    KMDWThe station: Chicago Midway.
    121856ZDay 12 of the month, 18:56 UTC. Z means Zulu time.
    32005KTWind from 320° true at 5 knots. A G would add gusts, as in 11012G18KT.
    1 1/2SMVisibility 1½ statute miles.
    RAModerate rain. A minus sign means light, a plus sign heavy.
    OVC007Overcast at 700 feet AGL. This is the ceiling.
    17/16Temperature 17°C, dew point 16°C. M before a number means minus.
    A2980Altimeter setting 29.80 inches of mercury.
    RMK RAB35Remarks: rain began at 35 minutes past the hour.

    Clouds and the ceiling

    Cloud groups give the amount and the height of the base, in hundreds of feet above ground level:

    • FEW few, SCT scattered, BKN broken, OVC overcast.
    • The ceiling is the lowest layer reported as broken or overcast, or a vertical visibility (VV) into an obscuration. Few and scattered layers are never the ceiling.
    • CB after a layer marks cumulonimbus, thunderstorm clouds.

    What a METAR means for a drone flight

    The test also asks whether you could fly. Two Part 107 limits come straight from the report:

    • Visibility of at least 3 statute miles from your control station (§107.51(c)). KMDW's 1½ SM means no Part 107 flight there without a waiver.
    • 500 feet below clouds (§107.51(d)). Under KMDW's overcast at 700 feet AGL, you could climb no higher than 200 feet. Scattered clouds count too: they are not a ceiling, but you must still stay 500 feet below them.

    One more clue: a small gap between temperature and dew point, like 17/16 or 20/18, means the air is nearly saturated. Fog and low clouds are likely, as in KJFK's report with fog and a 500-foot overcast.

    Mistakes that cost points

    1. Reading cloud heights as MSL. They are AGL, and in hundreds: 007 is 700 feet.
    2. Calling a scattered layer the ceiling. Only broken, overcast or vertical visibility count.
    3. Swapping wind speed and gust. In 11012G18KT the steady wind is 12 knots and the gusts reach 18.
    4. Converting time zones. Report times are UTC. The test never needs local time, so do not convert.

    Check yourself

    Six questions on the METARs from the FAA testing supplement:

    Question 1 of 6 · Weather

    Figure 12. Aviation Routine Weather Reports (METAR), from the FAA testing supplement
    METAR KINK 121845Z 11012G18KT 15SM SKC 25/17 A3000
METAR KBOI 121854Z 13004KT 30SM SCT150 17/6 A3015
METAR KLAX 121852Z 25004KT 6SM BR SCT007 SCT250 16/15 A2991
SPECI KMDW 121856Z 32005KT 1 1/2SM RA OVC007 17/16 A2980 RMK RAB35
SPECI KJFK 121853Z 18004KT 1/2SM FG R04/2200 OVC005 20/18 A3006

    (Refer to Figure 12.) What are the current conditions at Chicago Midway Airport (KMDW)?

    1. ASky 700 feet overcast, visibility 1-1/2 SM, rain
    2. BSky 7,000 feet overcast, visibility 1-1/2 SM, heavy rain
    3. CSky 700 feet overcast, visibility 11 SM, occasionally 2 SM, with rain
    Show answer

    A. Sky 700 feet overcast, visibility 1-1/2 SM, rain

    KMDW reports 1 1/2SM (visibility 1-1/2 statute miles), RA (moderate rain; heavy would be +RA) and OVC007 (overcast at 700 feet AGL; cloud heights are in hundreds of feet).

    Source: FAA-CT-8080-2H, Figure 12; Remote Pilot Study Guide, Ch. 3a

    Question 2 of 6 · Weather

    Figure 12 is above

    (Refer to Figure 12.) The wind at KJFK is from

    1. A180° true at 4 knots
    2. B180° magnetic at 4 knots
    3. C040° true at 18 knots
    Show answer

    A. 180° true at 4 knots

    18004KT means wind from 180° at 4 knots. METAR wind directions are referenced to true north.

    Source: FAA-CT-8080-2H, Figure 12; Remote Pilot Study Guide, Ch. 3a

    Question 3 of 6 · Weather

    Figure 12 is above

    (Refer to Figure 12.) What wind is reported at KINK?

    1. AFrom 110° true at 12 knots, gusting to 18 knots
    2. BFrom 110° true at 18 knots, gusting to 12 knots
    3. CFrom 011° true at 20 knots, gusting to 18 knots
    Show answer

    A. From 110° true at 12 knots, gusting to 18 knots

    11012G18KT decodes as wind from 110° true at 12 knots, with gusts (G) to 18 knots.

    Source: FAA-CT-8080-2H, Figure 12; Remote Pilot Study Guide, Ch. 3a

    Question 4 of 6 · Weather

    Figure 12 is above

    (Refer to Figure 12.) What does the KLAX report say about clouds?

    1. AThe ceiling is 700 feet AGL
    2. BScattered clouds at 700 feet and at 25,000 feet; no ceiling is reported
    3. COvercast at 7,000 feet and 25,000 feet
    Show answer

    B. Scattered clouds at 700 feet and at 25,000 feet; no ceiling is reported

    SCT007 SCT250 means scattered layers at 700 and 25,000 feet. A ceiling is the lowest broken or overcast layer (or vertical visibility), so scattered clouds do not form a ceiling.

    Source: FAA-CT-8080-2H, Figure 12; Remote Pilot Study Guide, Ch. 3b

    Question 5 of 6 · Weather

    Figure 12 is above

    (Refer to Figure 12.) In the KLAX report, "BR" indicates

    1. Ahaze
    2. Bmist
    3. Cblowing rain
    Show answer

    B. mist

    BR is the METAR code for mist. Haze is HZ and fog is FG.

    Source: FAA-CT-8080-2H, Figure 12; Remote Pilot Study Guide, Ch. 3a

    Question 6 of 6 · Weather

    Figure 12 is above

    (Refer to Figure 12.) In the KJFK report, what does R04/2200 mean?

    1. ARunway 4 visual range is 2,200 feet
    2. BRain began at 04 minutes past the hour and ended at 2200Z
    3. CRunway 4 is closed until 2200Z
    Show answer

    A. Runway 4 visual range is 2,200 feet

    Runway visual range is reported as R, the runway number, a slash, then the visual range in feet: runway 4 has an RVR of 2,200 feet.

    Source: FAA-CT-8080-2H, Figure 12; Remote Pilot Study Guide, Ch. 3a

    Every weather figure on the test, in the app. METARs and TAFs re-set as crisp text, with a decode of every answer and 460 questions in all.

    Coming soon to iPhone and Android

    Sources

    Reports are reproduced from the FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Supplement, a U.S. Government publication. Part 107 Test is not affiliated with the FAA.