Weather
Weather is a core knowledge area on the General Aeronautical Knowledge FAA written exam. This hub collects our 2 in-depth, ACS-aligned weather articles — each written in plain English and grounded in the official FAA handbooks. Work through them below, then drill the topic with practice questions.
How to Read a METAR
A METAR is a coded surface weather observation that always follows the same order. Reading it left to right gives you wind, visibility, weather, sky cover, temperature, and pressure at a glance.
Density Altitude
Density altitude is pressure altitude corrected for nonstandard temperature — it is the altitude the airplane “feels” aerodynamically. High density altitude degrades climb, takeoff, and engine performance.
More General Aeronautical Knowledge subjects
Articles are original summaries grounded in the public-domain FAA handbooks and cite their source. ACS-aligned study aids — not a substitute for the official handbooks or regulations.