Lesson F05 · Free Fundamentals · Weather decisions

Go, Delay, or Divert?

Read the weather trend before committing to the flight

Level: Fundamentals
Estimated time: 12 minutes
Access: Free

A weather report is a snapshot. Your simulator flight also needs a plan for what happens next. Compare the observation, forecast, arrival time, and your own practice limits before deciding whether to depart, wait, or use another airport.

Important. For hobby flight simulation only — not real-world flight or ground instruction, operational guidance, or a flight-planning tool.

CUE is a recreational consumer-simulation product. It is not FAA-approved training, certification preparation, medical advice, an aircraft operating manual, or a substitute for current regulations and guidance, official charts and weather, an approved AFM/POH, aircraft checklists, air traffic control instructions, or instruction from an appropriately qualified professional. Never use CUE to operate, dispatch, maintain, diagnose, or make decisions concerning an actual aircraft. Simulated aircraft, controls, avionics, weather, traffic, navigation data, and procedures may be simplified, incomplete, inaccurate, or obsolete and may differ materially from real equipment and current requirements. Completion confers no certificate, endorsement, currency, proficiency, authorization, or qualification. Real-world aviation can cause serious injury, death, and property loss. Use current authoritative sources and qualified professionals for any actual aviation activity.

Before you make the call

What you will learn

Read the wind, visibility, and ceiling in a simple METAR.
Compare observed weather with the forecast for the intended arrival time.
Choose a simulator plan that preserves a practical fallback.

In a METAR, 18008KT means wind from 180 degrees at 8 knots; 6SM means six statute miles of visibility; BKN020 means a broken cloud layer with a base 2,000 feet above the reporting airport. Broken and overcast layers can establish a ceiling. Those values describe the observation at its timestamp, not a promise about your entire route.

A TAF describes expected conditions over a stated period. A forecast change near your arrival can matter more than the departure airport's pleasant view. For this exercise, set personal simulator practice limits of a 2,500-foot ceiling and five miles of visibility. These are invented lesson limits, not regulatory minima or authorization to fly a real aircraft.

Use this concept in a home simulator with the documentation for your simulated aircraft. The handbook edition is background reading; these exercises do not establish current real-world procedures, limits, or permissions.

For hobby flight simulation only — not real-world flight or ground instruction, operational guidance, or a flight-planning tool. Use your simulator aircraft’s documentation for settings and procedures.