PLT061: Information on a Pirep
What code PLT061 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Information on a Pirep before your checkride.
Interpret information on a PIREP
What this means for your checkride
A pilot report (PIREP) is weather observed from the cockpit, the only direct source for things like actual cloud tops, in-flight icing, and turbulence. It uses coded fields for location, altitude, aircraft type, and the conditions encountered.
PIREPs fill the gaps between stations and confirm forecasts, so the FAA tests how to read one and why filing them matters.
Pilots treat PIREPs as optional trivia. They are often the best evidence of icing or turbulence at your altitude, which forecasts can only estimate.
Where to study it
A code on your test report is an area of deficiency. An authorized instructor must review it with you and endorse that review before you take the practical test, and the examiner may revisit it during the oral. Study it until you can explain it out loud, not just recognize the answer.