Part 107 exam practice question · Weather & METAR
A METAR is an actual observation taken at a specific station at a specific time, which makes it far more reliable than a forecast — but only for that place and that moment. Twenty-five miles is enough distance for real differences: visibility can be four miles at a station and one mile in a valley or near water, cloud bases vary with terrain, and wind at an open airfield differs from wind in a built-up area. The correct use is as planning information that establishes the general pattern and the trend across successive observations, followed by verification of the actual conditions where the flight will occur. That second step matters legally as well as practically, because Part 107 requires three statute miles of flight visibility assessed from the control station — the pilot's own position, not the reporting station's. A distant METAR can never satisfy that requirement, and treating it as though it could is the error the question targets.
A METAR is an accurate observation for its own station, so it supports planning and trend assessment, but conditions 25 miles away can differ and must be verified at the operating site.
METARs are observations at a specific station and time. Part 107 requires a minimum flight visibility of three statute miles as observed from the control station, which the pilot must assess at the operating location.
Their Observation, Your Determination. The METAR informs you; the visibility call is yours from where you stand.
The three-mile requirement is measured from the control station. That single detail resolves most questions about distant weather reports.
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