Preflight briefing
Training onlyOfficial briefing ↗Loading map…
Flight Service · training desk
From briefing to cockpit
- Brief. Adverse conditions first: TFRs, SIGMETs, AIRMETs and IFR reports along your route.
- Check each airport. The weather now and the forecast for when you get there.
- Plan the legs. Heading, groundspeed, time and fuel from winds aloft at your altitude.
- Practice the plan. Save it, then file, activate and close it.
- Fly it. Start on the departure runway in the 3D sim with the briefing weather.
Weather charts
ObservationsRadar loop ↗NEXRAD precipitation, animated, with observation timeObservationsSatellite ↗GOES visible and infrared cloud imageryObservationsObservation map ↗METARs, PIREPs, radar and satellite on one mapGFA forecastsCeiling & visibility ↗Forecast ceilings, visibility and flight categoryGFA forecastsClouds ↗Forecast cloud cover, bases and topsGFA forecastsPrecipitation ↗Forecast precipitation type and extentGFA forecastsThunderstorms ↗Forecast thunderstorm coverage and topsGFA forecastsWinds aloft ↗Official forecast winds by altitude: compare with the GFS winds in the briefingGFA forecastsTemperature ↗Forecast temperatures and freezing levels by altitudeGFA forecastsTurbulence ↗Turbulence forecast by altitudeGFA forecastsIcing ↗Icing forecast and freezing levelsAnalysis & progsSurface analysis ↗Current pressure systems and fronts (WPC)Analysis & progsProg charts ↗Forecast fronts and weather, 12 to 48 hoursAnalysis & progsSignificant weather ↗Low, mid and high-level SigWx chartsAnalysis & progsConvective outlook ↗Storm Prediction Center outlooks, days 1 to 8DiscussionForecast discussions ↗The whole discussion: synopsis, forecast reasoning and uncertainty (the briefing shows its aviation section)
Each chart opens in its official viewer: check its issue time, valid time and region there.