[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":501},["ShallowReactive",2],{"learn-\u002Flearn\u002Fhow-to-read-a-pirep":3,"learn-nav-\u002Flearn\u002Fhow-to-read-a-pirep":464},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"date":394,"description":395,"draft":396,"extension":397,"faqs":398,"howTo":408,"keyTakeaways":416,"meta":417,"navigation":418,"path":419,"quiz":420,"seo":447,"series":448,"seriesOrder":449,"sources":450,"stem":461,"topic":462,"__hash__":463},"learn\u002Flearn\u002Fhow-to-read-a-pirep.md","How to read a PIREP",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":384},"minimark",[9,21,27,32,68,90,94,97,102,105,198,215,219,233,301,309,313,334,338,369,373],[10,11,12,13,20],"p",{},"A ",[14,15,19],"a",{"href":16,"className":17},"\u002Flearn\u002Fglossary#gt-pirep",[18],"glossary-link","PIREP"," is the weather that no instrument on the ground can measure: what a pilot actually felt and saw at altitude, passed on so the next aircraft is not surprised.",[22,23,24],"blockquote",{},[10,25,26],{},"This is general educational information, not operational, legal, or regulatory advice. Rules differ by authority and change over time. Always verify against current official sources and follow your operator's approved procedures.",[28,29,31],"h2",{"id":30},"what-a-pirep-is-for","What a PIREP is for",[10,33,34,35,38,39,45,46,51,52,55,56,61,62,67],{},"Surface observations and forecasts are powerful, but they cannot directly see the turbulence at FL080, the height of the cloud tops, or the icing inside a layer. A ",[36,37,19],"strong",{}," (pilot report) fills that gap with first-hand information from someone who has just flown through it. The ",[14,40,44],{"href":41,"rel":42},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.faa.gov\u002Fair_traffic\u002Fpublications\u002Fatpubs\u002Faim_html\u002Fchap7_section_1.html",[43],"nofollow","FAA Aeronautical Information Manual"," sets out the coding (paragraph 7-1-18, Pilot Weather Reports), and the ",[14,47,50],{"href":48,"rel":49},"https:\u002F\u002Faviationweather.gov\u002Fhelp\u002Fpirep\u002F",[43],"NOAA\u002FNWS Aviation Weather Center"," collects and distributes them. Internationally, the equivalent is the ",[36,53,54],{},"air-report (AIREP)",", defined under ",[14,57,60],{"href":58,"rel":59},"https:\u002F\u002Fstore.icao.int\u002Fen\u002Fannex-3-meteorological-service-for-international-air-navigation-1",[43],"ICAO Annex 3"," and ",[14,63,66],{"href":64,"rel":65},"https:\u002F\u002Fstore.icao.int\u002Fen\u002Fprocedures-for-air-navigation-services-air-traffic-management-doc-4444",[43],"ICAO Doc 4444",", with a special air-report used for hazards encountered en route.",[10,69,70,71,77,78,83,84,89],{},"A PIREP comes in two types. ",[36,72,73],{},[74,75,76],"code",{},"UA"," is a routine report. ",[36,79,80],{},[74,81,82],{},"UUA"," is urgent, reserved for the conditions other pilots most need to hear about quickly: severe or extreme turbulence, severe icing, hail, low-level ",[14,85,88],{"href":86,"className":87},"\u002Flearn\u002Fglossary#gt-wind-shear",[18],"wind shear",", volcanic ash, and similar threats.",[28,91,93],{"id":92},"a-worked-example","A worked example",[10,95,96],{},"Here is a routine PIREP in the slash-coded form used in the United States:",[10,98,99],{},[74,100,101],{},"UA \u002FOV BUF 270010 \u002FTM 1645 \u002FFL080 \u002FTP BE20 \u002FSK BKN035-TOP070 \u002FTA M04 \u002FWV 28030 \u002FTB MOD \u002FIC LGT-MOD RIME \u002FRM TOPS 070",[10,103,104],{},"Reading it field by field:",[106,107,108,114,128,134,146,152,158,174,180,186,192],"ul",{},[109,110,111,113],"li",{},[74,112,76],{}," is the report type: a routine pilot report.",[109,115,116,119,120,123,124,127],{},[74,117,118],{},"\u002FOV BUF 270010"," is the location: over a point 10 nautical miles out on the 270 bearing from the Buffalo (",[74,121,122],{},"BUF",") navaid. The ",[74,125,126],{},"\u002FOV"," field is always given relative to a fix or navaid, not as bare coordinates.",[109,129,130,133],{},[74,131,132],{},"\u002FTM 1645"," is the time: 1645 UTC. Like every aviation time, it is UTC, not local.",[109,135,136,139,140,145],{},[74,137,138],{},"\u002FFL080"," is the altitude: ",[14,141,144],{"href":142,"className":143},"\u002Flearn\u002Fglossary#gt-flight-level",[18],"flight level"," 080, or 8000 ft.",[109,147,148,151],{},[74,149,150],{},"\u002FTP BE20"," is the aircraft type, a Beechcraft King Air. The type matters, because moderate turbulence in a light twin and in an airliner are not the same experience.",[109,153,154,157],{},[74,155,156],{},"\u002FSK BKN035-TOP070"," is the sky cover: broken cloud with a base near 3500 ft and tops near 7000 ft.",[109,159,160,163,164,169,170,173],{},[74,161,162],{},"\u002FTA M04"," is the outside air temperature: minus 4 degrees C. As in a ",[14,165,168],{"href":166,"className":167},"\u002Flearn\u002Fglossary#gt-metar",[18],"METAR",", the ",[74,171,172],{},"M"," prefix marks a negative value.",[109,175,176,179],{},[74,177,178],{},"\u002FWV 28030"," is the wind: from 280 degrees at 30 knots.",[109,181,182,185],{},[74,183,184],{},"\u002FTB MOD"," is the turbulence: moderate.",[109,187,188,191],{},[74,189,190],{},"\u002FIC LGT-MOD RIME"," is the icing: light to moderate rime ice.",[109,193,194,197],{},[74,195,196],{},"\u002FRM TOPS 070"," is the remarks field, here noting the cloud tops at 7000 ft.",[10,199,200,201,203,204,203,207,210,211,214],{},"The five mandatory fields, present in every PIREP, are the type, ",[74,202,126],{},", ",[74,205,206],{},"\u002FTM",[74,208,209],{},"\u002FFL",", and ",[74,212,213],{},"\u002FTP","; the rest are added as the pilot has something to report.",[28,216,218],{"id":217},"the-fields-in-full","The fields in full",[10,220,221,222,226,227,232],{},"The complete set of element identifiers, per the ",[14,223,225],{"href":41,"rel":224},[43],"FAA"," and the ",[14,228,231],{"href":229,"rel":230},"https:\u002F\u002Faviationweather.gov\u002Fhelp\u002Fdata\u002F",[43],"Aviation Weather Center",", is:",[106,234,235,257],{},[109,236,237,241,242,246,247,251,252,256],{},[36,238,239],{},[74,240,126],{}," location, ",[36,243,244],{},[74,245,206],{}," time, ",[36,248,249],{},[74,250,209],{}," altitude or flight level, ",[36,253,254],{},[74,255,213],{}," aircraft type (the mandatory core);",[109,258,259,264,265,270,271,276,277,282,283,288,289,294,295,300],{},[36,260,261],{},[74,262,263],{},"\u002FSK"," sky cover and cloud tops, ",[36,266,267],{},[74,268,269],{},"\u002FWX"," flight visibility and weather, ",[36,272,273],{},[74,274,275],{},"\u002FTA"," temperature, ",[36,278,279],{},[74,280,281],{},"\u002FWV"," wind, ",[36,284,285],{},[74,286,287],{},"\u002FTB"," turbulence, ",[36,290,291],{},[74,292,293],{},"\u002FIC"," icing, and ",[36,296,297],{},[74,298,299],{},"\u002FRM"," remarks.",[10,302,303,304,308],{},"Turbulence and icing are reported by intensity (light, moderate, severe, and for turbulence extreme) and, for icing, by type (rime, clear, or mixed), which mirrors the ",[14,305,307],{"href":306},"\u002Flearn\u002Faircraft-icing-explained","icing types"," used in the forecast products.",[28,310,312],{"id":311},"icao-and-the-us-coding","ICAO and the US coding",[10,314,315,316,326,327,61,330,333],{},"The hazards a PIREP reports are universal, but the ",[36,317,318,319,203,321,203,323,325],{},"slash-coded ",[74,320,126],{},[74,322,206],{},[74,324,209],{}," format is the FAA encoding"," used in the United States. Under the ICAO system the same information travels as an air-report (AIREP), structured around position, time, flight level, and the observed conditions, with a special air-report (AIREP SPECIAL) raised for hazardous weather met in flight, as set out in ",[14,328,66],{"href":64,"rel":329},[43],[14,331,60],{"href":58,"rel":332},[43],". The content is comparable; the layout on the page is not, so do not expect the slash fields everywhere.",[28,335,337],{"id":336},"common-pitfalls","Common pitfalls",[106,339,340,349,357,363],{},[109,341,342,345,346,348],{},[36,343,344],{},"The altitude is where the condition was met,"," not a forecast band. A turbulence PIREP at ",[74,347,138],{}," says nothing about FL120.",[109,350,351,356],{},[36,352,353,355],{},[74,354,126],{}," is relative to a navaid,"," so you need to know where that navaid is to place the report on your route.",[109,358,359,362],{},[36,360,361],{},"Aircraft type sets the scale."," Weigh a turbulence or icing report against the size and type of the aircraft that filed it.",[109,364,365,368],{},[36,366,367],{},"A PIREP is a snapshot,"," valid for the moment it was taken; conditions aloft move and change, so treat an older report with appropriate caution.",[28,370,372],{"id":371},"in-pilot-efb","In Pilot EFB",[10,374,375,376,379,380,383],{},"Pilot EFB pulls the weather for your route and shows the ",[36,377,378],{},"decoded"," report alongside the ",[36,381,382],{},"raw"," text, with the raw report always kept and never replaced, so the briefing reads in plain language while the original coding stays available. A briefing you have already pulled stays readable with no signal, because your device holds what you have saved; fetching fresh reports needs a connection. Pilot EFB is offline-first and is not a certified Electronic Flight Bag, so brief the weather from your official source of record.",{"title":385,"searchDepth":386,"depth":386,"links":387},"",2,[388,389,390,391,392,393],{"id":30,"depth":386,"text":31},{"id":92,"depth":386,"text":93},{"id":217,"depth":386,"text":218},{"id":311,"depth":386,"text":312},{"id":336,"depth":386,"text":337},{"id":371,"depth":386,"text":372},"2026-06-07","Decode a pilot weather report field by field, understand the UA and UUA types and the slash-coded elements, and see how a PIREP fills the gaps between weather stations.",false,"md",[399,402,405],{"q":400,"a":401},"What is a PIREP?","A PIREP is a pilot weather report: an account of the conditions a pilot actually met in flight, such as turbulence, icing, cloud tops, visibility, wind and temperature. Because observations and forecasts cannot see everything between stations, a PIREP fills the gaps with first-hand information, and the FAA explains its coding in the Aeronautical Information Manual.",{"q":403,"a":404},"What is the difference between a UA and a UUA PIREP?","UA marks a routine pilot report, while UUA marks an urgent one. The urgent type is reserved for hazardous conditions such as severe or extreme turbulence, severe icing, hail, low-level wind shear, volcanic ash and similar threats that other pilots need to know about quickly.",{"q":406,"a":407},"Which PIREP fields are mandatory?","Five fields are mandatory: the report type (UA or UUA), the location after \u002FOV, the time after \u002FTM, the altitude or flight level after \u002FFL, and the aircraft type after \u002FTP. The remaining fields, such as sky cover, weather, temperature, wind, turbulence and icing, are added as the pilot has them to report.",{"name":5,"steps":409},[410,411,412,413,414,415],"Read the report type: UA for a routine pilot report, or UUA for an urgent one.","Read the location after \u002FOV, given relative to a navaid or fix as a bearing and distance.","Read the time after \u002FTM, which is always in UTC.","Read the altitude or flight level after \u002FFL.","Read the aircraft type after \u002FTP, which sets the context for any turbulence and icing reported.","Decode the optional fields in turn: \u002FSK sky cover, \u002FWX weather and visibility, \u002FTA temperature, \u002FWV wind, \u002FTB turbulence, \u002FIC icing, and \u002FRM remarks.",null,{},true,"\u002Flearn\u002Fhow-to-read-a-pirep",[421,430,439],{"q":422,"options":423,"answer":428,"explanation":429},"In a slash-coded PIREP, what does the report type UUA indicate?",[424,425,426,427],"A routine pilot report","An urgent pilot report for hazardous conditions","An unverified report awaiting confirmation","A report filed by an aircraft on the ground",1,"UA is a routine report, while UUA is urgent, reserved for conditions such as severe or extreme turbulence, severe icing, hail, low-level wind shear, and volcanic ash that other pilots most need to hear about quickly.",{"q":431,"options":432,"answer":437,"explanation":438},"Which fields are mandatory in every PIREP?",[433,434,435,436],"The type, \u002FOV, \u002FTM, \u002FFL, and \u002FTP","The type, \u002FSK, \u002FWX, \u002FTB, and \u002FIC","Only \u002FOV and \u002FTM","The type, \u002FTA, \u002FWV, \u002FTB, and \u002FRM",0,"The five mandatory fields, present in every PIREP, are the report type, \u002FOV (location), \u002FTM (time), \u002FFL (altitude or flight level), and \u002FTP (aircraft type); the rest are added as the pilot has something to report.",{"q":440,"options":441,"answer":386,"explanation":446},"In a PIREP, the time given after \u002FTM is expressed in which time zone?",[442,443,444,445],"Local time at the reporting point","Local time plus one hour","UTC","Whatever the pilot's watch shows","The time after \u002FTM is always in UTC, not local. So \u002FTM 1645 is 1645 UTC, like every aviation time.",{"title":5,"description":395},"decode-the-weather",5,[451,453,455,457,459],{"label":452,"url":41},"FAA Aeronautical Information Manual, Chapter 7 Section 1 (Meteorology)",{"label":454,"url":58},"ICAO Annex 3: Meteorological Service for International Air Navigation",{"label":456,"url":64},"ICAO Doc 4444: PANS-ATM (Air Traffic Management)",{"label":458,"url":48},"NOAA\u002FNWS Aviation Weather Center: PIREP submission information",{"label":460,"url":229},"NOAA\u002FNWS Aviation Weather Center: product descriptions","learn\u002Fhow-to-read-a-pirep","Briefing","SG2phBH6Uc1GXL_G6zYU5xHkzMtJxbdr1FSbZZPFvx0",{"related":465,"newer":483,"older":489,"series":494},[466,472,478],{"path":467,"title":468,"description":469,"date":470,"topic":462,"draft":396,"minutes":471,"series":416,"seriesOrder":416},"\u002Flearn\u002Ficao-vs-iata-codes","ICAO vs IATA codes explained","The difference between the 4-letter ICAO location indicators used for flight planning and weather and the 3-letter IATA codes on your boarding pass, plus airline codes and callsigns.","2026-06-20",3,{"path":473,"title":474,"description":475,"date":476,"topic":462,"draft":396,"minutes":477,"series":416,"seriesOrder":416},"\u002Flearn\u002Funderstanding-notams","Understanding NOTAMs","What a NOTAM is, how the ICAO format and Q-line are built, the difference between NOTAMN, NOTAMR and NOTAMC, and how to deal with NOTAM overload.","2026-06-15",4,{"path":479,"title":480,"description":481,"date":482,"topic":462,"draft":396,"minutes":477,"series":416,"seriesOrder":416},"\u002Flearn\u002Foffline-first-preflight-briefing","The offline-first preflight briefing","What the rules require you to check before flight, how to build a self-brief, and the honest difference between offline-first and working fully offline.","2026-06-11",{"path":484,"title":485,"description":486,"date":487,"topic":488,"draft":396,"minutes":449,"series":416,"seriesOrder":416},"\u002Flearn\u002Faltimetry-qnh-qfe-qne","Altimetry: QNH, QFE and the standard setting","What QNH, QFE and the standard pressure setting actually do to your altimeter, the difference between transition altitude and transition level, and the EASA and FAA conventions that differ.","2026-06-08","Weather",{"path":490,"title":491,"description":492,"date":493,"topic":462,"draft":396,"minutes":477,"series":416,"seriesOrder":416},"\u002Flearn\u002Fthe-aip-and-airac-cycle","The AIP and the AIRAC cycle","What an Aeronautical Information Publication is, how its GEN, ENR and AD parts are organised, and why aeronautical data changes on the fixed 28-day AIRAC cycle.","2026-06-06",{"slug":448,"title":495,"part":449,"total":449,"prev":496,"next":416},"Decode the weather",{"path":497,"title":498,"description":499,"date":500,"topic":488,"draft":396,"minutes":449,"series":448,"seriesOrder":477},"\u002Flearn\u002Fhow-to-read-a-sigmet-and-airmet","How to read a SIGMET and an AIRMET","What SIGMETs and AIRMETs warn of, the phenomena codes, how long each stays valid, and a worked SIGMET decoded field by field, with the ICAO baseline and the US differences.","2026-06-18",1781989192983]