PLT284: Winds and Temperatures Aloft Forecast
What code PLT284 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Winds and Temperatures Aloft Forecast before your checkride.
Recall information on a Forecast Winds and Temperatures Aloft (FB)
What this means for your checkride
The Winds and Temperatures Aloft Forecast (FB) predicts wind direction, wind speed, and temperature at specific altitudes for many locations. You use it to choose an altitude, compute groundspeed and fuel, and anticipate temperature for performance and icing.
Winds aloft drive flight planning, so the FAA tests decoding the FB, including its coded direction and speed groups and which altitudes carry a temperature.
The FB does not forecast winds for a level within 1,500 feet of the station elevation, and temperatures are omitted for the lowest levels, so not every altitude has a value.
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.