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⚖ Weather · FAA Aviation Weather Handbook, Terminal Aerodrome ForecastsWX-040 · 143 of 261

A remote pilot has a 7 AM shoot tomorrow. The 00Z TAF reads in part: FM1200 18008KT P6SM FEW050 BKN120. What does this forecast predict for the 7 AM flight window, and how should the pilot plan?

AThe forecast group begins at 12Z (approximately 7 or 8 AM local depending on time zone); the pilot should check for earlier-period groups that cover 7 AM✓
BThe forecast predicts winds of 180 degrees at 8 knots at 7 AM with unlimited visibility
CThe forecast is not valid for the shoot because TAFs only cover the next 6 hours

Why →TAF 'FM' (From) groups use Zulu time and mark the beginning of a forecast period. FM1200 means the forecast becomes effective at 1200Z. The pilot must identify which forecast group covers 7 AM local time and read that group's conditions, not a later group. TAFs are valid for 24 to 30 hours, so a TAF issued at 00Z will cover a 7 AM flight the next day in one of its groups.

The trap →The option predicting 180 degrees at 8 knots with unlimited visibility lifts the values from the FM1200 group without checking whether 12Z covers the 7 AM flight time. The trap is reading the first wind value you see.

Field note →For a US-based shoot, convert TAF times by subtracting 4 (EDT), 5 (EST/CDT), 6 (CST/MDT), 7 (MST/PDT), or 8 (PST) hours from Zulu. A 12Z group starts at 8 AM EDT, 6 AM MDT, and 5 AM PDT.

SOURCE → FAA Aviation Weather Handbook, Terminal Aerodrome ForecastsCHECKED JUL 16ACS III.A.K2MED
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