Which sources provide weather information for ATR preflight planning?

• A. METARs only
• B. METARs and TAFs only
• C. METARs, TAFs, NOTAMs, radar/satellite, and ATIS
• D. Not applicable

Answer: (C)

A key idea in ATR preflight planning is pulling weather information from a broad set of sources to get a complete picture of current conditions, what to expect, and any hazards along the way. METARs give the current surface weather at airports, including wind, visibility, sky condition, temperature, dew point, and altimeter. TAFs extend that picture by outlining forecasted conditions for the next 24 to 30 hours, helping you anticipate changes at your departure, destination, and alternates.

NOTAMs are crucial because they alert you to significant information that could affect flight operations beyond routine weather observations—this includes weather-related runway closures, restricted areas, or temporary advisories tied to weather events. Radar and satellite imagery add real-time views of precipitation and weather system movement, so you can see storm patterns and intensity and plan avoidance or routing decisions accordingly. ATIS provides continuous, airport-specific weather and runway information at the destination, including active runways, winds, visibility, and altimeter, which is essential for final approach planning and landing.

Using all of these sources together gives a reliable, practical picture for preflight decisions, whereas relying on a subset (like METARs and TAFs alone) would miss notams, real-time weather patterns, and airport broadcasts. Not applicable offers no information at all, which obviously isn’t sufficient for planning.