PLT076: Winds and Temperatures Aloft
What code PLT076 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Winds and Temperatures Aloft before your checkride.
Interpret information on a Winds and Temperatures Aloft Forecast (FB)
What this means for your checkride
The winds and temperatures aloft forecast (FB) predicts wind direction, speed, and temperature at standard altitudes. Directions are true north; a coded 9900 means light and variable; speeds above 100 knots add 50 to the direction code; and no temperature is forecast within 2,500 feet of the station elevation.
This forecast drives altitude selection, groundspeed, and fuel, so the FAA tests whether you can decode the groups and apply the coding rules.
Pilots read the raw digits without decoding. A group like 7530 can mean a 125-knot wind from 250 degrees once you subtract 50 from the direction and add 100 to the speed.
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.