PLT290: Information on Airmets
What code PLT290 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Information on Airmets before your checkride.
Recall information on AIRMETS / SIGMETS
What this means for your checkride
AIRMETs and SIGMETs are in-flight advisories. AIRMETs cover moderate icing, turbulence, mountain obscuration, and widespread low visibility, significant mostly to light aircraft; SIGMETs cover severe, all-aircraft hazards. Both are issued for areas and valid periods.
Knowing which advisory covers what, and its severity, is central to weather planning, so the FAA tests the distinctions.
Candidates treat them as interchangeable. The severity and the intended audience differ, which changes how seriously you weigh each one.
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.