107Checkride107

Decode it: METARs, NOTAMs & sectional charts

The three skills a text question can only half-teach. Read a weather report, a NOTAM, and a VFR sectional the way the test expects — then drill them. 14 CFR 107.49 (preflight)

1 · Decode a METAR

A METAR is an observed weather report. Read it left to right. Example:

KORD 121651Z 18012G20KT 10SM FEW050 27/14 A2998 RMK AO2
groupmeanshow to read it
KORDStationReporting station — ICAO identifier (here, Chicago O’Hare).
121651ZDate/timeDay 12 of the month, 1651 UTC ("Z" = Zulu / UTC). Always UTC, not local.
18012G20KTWindFrom 180° true at 12 knots, gusting 20 kt. "VRB" = variable; "00000KT" = calm. Gusts matter for control margin.
10SMVisibilityStatute miles. Part 107 requires at least 3 SM from the control station. Fractions like "1/2SM" appear in low vis.
FEW050Sky / cloudsFew clouds at 5,000 ft AGL. SKC/CLR = clear · FEW (1–2/8) · SCT (3–4/8) · BKN (5–7/8) · OVC (8/8). A "ceiling" is the lowest BKN or OVC layer.
27/14Temp / dew pointTemperature 27°C / dew point 14°C. A small, closing spread → fog/low cloud risk. Drives density altitude too.
A2998AltimeterAltimeter setting 29.98 inHg.
RMK …RemarksAutomated/manual notes (e.g., AO2, sea-level pressure). "AUTO" earlier in the report = automated station.

For Part 107: you need at least 3 SM visibility and must stay 500 ft below / 2,000 ft horizontally from clouds. Watch wind & gusts for control, and a closing temp/dew-point spread for fog. 14 CFR 107.51 · AIM 7-1

2 · Read a NOTAM

A NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) flags a temporary change you must know before flying — closed runways, new obstacles, airspace restrictions, and TFRs (issued as FDC NOTAMs).

LocationThe affected facility or area (airport/ICAO id, or a center for FDC NOTAMs).
KeywordWhat it concerns — e.g., RWY (runway), TWY, AD (aerodrome), OBST (obstacle), AIRSPACE, COM, SVC.
ConditionPlain-language description of the change (closed, unserviceable, new obstruction, TFR, etc.).
Schedule / timeEffective start and end in UTC (or "PERM"). "WIE" = with immediate effect; "UFN" = until further notice.

Check before every flight: the FAA NOTAM Search (notams.aim.faa.gov), your B4UFLY-style app, or a Flight Service briefing (1-800-WX-BRIEF). A TFR — common over wildfires, stadiums, and VIP movements — can ground you even in otherwise-legal airspace. 14 CFR 107.49 · 107.45 (TFRs)

3 · Read a VFR sectional chart

The exam shows cropped chart excerpts and asks what airspace you’re in and how high it goes. The color and line style tell you the class; the numbers give ceilings/floors in hundreds of feet MSL.

airspace / symbolhow it’s drawnwhat it tells you
Class BSolid blue linesConcentric rings ("upside-down wedding cake"). Floors/ceilings printed in blue (e.g., 100/SFC = 10,000 ceiling / surface floor, in hundreds of ft MSL).
Class CSolid magenta linesCeiling/floor in magenta, e.g., 41/13 = 4,100 MSL ceiling over 1,300 MSL floor.
Class DDashed blue linesCeiling shown in a dashed blue box, e.g., [25] = 2,500 ft MSL (top of Class D).
Class E surface area (E2)Dashed magenta circleEncircles an airport where controlled airspace reaches the ground. This is the only Class E that triggers a 107.41 authorization.
Class E extension (E4)Dashed magenta keyhole/rectangleA protrusion off a Class C or D surface area, protecting an instrument approach. It reaches the surface, but it is an extension TO a surface area rather than the surface area designated FOR an airport — no 107.41 authorization required.
Class E from 700 AGLFaded magenta vignetteShaded magenta band that fades outward — Class E floor begins at 700 ft AGL inside it.
Class E from 1,200 AGLFaded blue vignette / boundaryOutside the magenta — controlled Class E begins at 1,200 ft AGL.
Class GNo outline (uncontrolled)Everything below the Class E floor. No ATC authorization needed, but other rules still apply.
MOA / Alert / WarningMagenta hatched borderSpecial-use airspace; check times of use.
Restricted / ProhibitedBlue hatched border (R-### / P-###)Do not enter Prohibited; Restricted only when "cold"/authorized.
MEF (Max Elevation Figure)Large bold number in a quadranglee.g., 12⁵ = 12,500 ft — highest terrain/obstacle in that quadrangle.
Latitude / longitudeThin black tick linesLatitude lines run east–west and measure north/south position.

Rule of thumb: blue = Class B & D, magenta = Class C & E; solid = B/C, dashed = D and surface-E, faded vignette = where Class E begins aloft. Controlled airspace (B/C/D/surface-E) needs prior ATC authorization — get it instantly via LAANC. 14 CFR 107.41 · Sectional Chart legend

The FAA’s own legend and charts

These are the actual pages of the FAA testing supplement, FAA-CT-8080-2H. Tap any image to open the whole page and zoom. Every figure and legend is in the figure library.

The legend: airspace lines, the Class D ceiling box, Class E floors, and special use airspace borders.

FAA-CT-8080-2H · Legend 1 · page 1-1 · part of the page shown; tap the image for the whole page

The legend: how to read an airport data block.

FAA-CT-8080-2H · Legend 1 · page 1-1 · part of the page shown; tap the image for the whole page

Class C: solid magenta rings, each sector labelled ceiling over floor in hundreds of feet MSL.

FAA-CT-8080-2H · Figure 23 · page 2-22 · part of the page shown; tap the image for the whole page

Class D: a dashed blue ring with its ceiling in a dashed blue box.

FAA-CT-8080-2H · Figure 21 · page 2-20 · part of the page shown; tap the image for the whole page

Class E beginning at the surface: a dashed magenta line around the airport.

FAA-CT-8080-2H · Figure 26 · page 2-25 · part of the page shown; tap the image for the whole page

Class E beginning at 700 feet AGL: a shaded magenta band.

FAA-CT-8080-2H · Figure 21 · page 2-20 · part of the page shown; tap the image for the whole page

Special use airspace: restricted areas bordered in blue hatching, a MOA in magenta.

FAA-CT-8080-2H · Figure 26 · page 2-25 · part of the page shown; tap the image for the whole page

Obstructions: top elevation above mean sea level, with height above ground in parentheses.

FAA-CT-8080-2H · Legend 1 · page 1-1 · part of the page shown; tap the image for the whole page

Two study sheets of our own

The supplement has no side-view of the airspace classes and no answering workflow, so these two sheets are ours. Tap either to open it full-size.

Airspace profile — what sits above your drone, from Class G at the surface up to Class A, with the 700 ft and 1,200 ft Class E floorsSectional test traps for Part 107 — blue vs magenta airport symbols (towered vs non-towered), how to read the MSL/AGL ceiling and floor numbers, and a six-step workflow for answering a sectional question

Independent study aid — always verify operations against the current sectional, Chart Supplement, and NOTAMs/TFRs.

Practice it live: chart-reading drills are in the bank now — head to Study → Airspaceand the chart appears above the question, so the answer comes off the chart, not a description of it.

4 · Read airport markings & the traffic pattern

You won’t land at an airport, but the exam tests airport markings — and knowing them helps you predict where manned aircraft will be so you can stay clear.

Airport markings, including the runway holding position markings.

FAA-CT-8080-2H · Figure 64 · page 2-61 · tap the image to zoom

An airport diagram: runway numbers painted at each end.

FAA-CT-8080-2H · Figure 49 · page 2-46 · tap the image to zoom

U.S. airport signs.

FAA-CT-8080-2H · Figure 65 · page 2-62 · tap the image to zoom

Runway numbering reference — the number is the magnetic heading rounded to the nearest 10°, opposite ends are 180° apart, and the number is painted at the approach end to show the direction of flight. The wind arrow shows air moving toward the north-west, because a reported wind of 120° is the direction it comes FROM
  • Runway numbers = magnetic heading ÷ 10. Runway “09” points ~090°; the other end is “27” (270°) — always 18 apart.
  • Hold-short marking = two solid + two dashed yellow lines. Hold short of the solid side; don’t cross onto the runway until cleared (towered) or confirmed safe (non-towered).
  • Displaced threshold (arrows → a solid line) = pavement usable for taxi/takeoff but not landing.
  • Traffic pattern = left turns by default; pilots self-announce on the CTAF at non-towered fields.
  • Wind is reported as the direction it comes FROM. “Wind 120 at 8” means the air arrives from the south-east and moves toward the north-west. Take off and land into the wind, so you pick the runway whose number is closest to the reported direction — with wind from 120°, that is runway 9 (090°), not 23.

FAA-H-8083-25C Ch.14 · AIM 2-3 / 4-1 / 4-3

5 · The airspace cross-section

A sectional is the top-down view; this is the side view of the same airspace. Most Part 107 flying starts in Class G (uncontrolled), below the Class E floor.

Airspace cross-section — Class A through G by altitude
Refer to the chart excerpt above.

Class A: 18,000′ MSL→FL600 (drones never go there). Class B/C/D surround busy airports and need ATC authorization. Class E is controlled airspace that begins at 700′ or 1,200′ AGL (or the surface near some airports); everything below it is Class G. AIM 3-2 / 3-3

6 · The four conversions

Four questions on the exam are not recall at all — they are a short procedure you either run or guess at. Each one turns a charted number into a number you can act on, and each has a single step where most of the errors happen.

1 · Charted ceiling (MSL) → height above the ground

You are givenA boxed or ringed altitude on the chart, and the field elevation from the airport data block.What it meansBoth figures are MSL. Airspace ceilings, floors and terrain are charted in MSL; your 400-ft limit is AGL.The operationCharted altitude − field elevation. A Class D ceiling of [42] over a 1,716-ft field is 4,200 − 1,716 = 2,484 ft AGL.The trapReading the charted figure as a height above the ground. Bring both numbers to one datum before comparing them to anything.

AIM 3-2-5 · chart legend

2 · Structure inspection envelope

You are givenAn obstruction annotated with a bold figure and a second figure in parentheses.What it meansThe bold figure is the top in MSL. The figure in parentheses is the structure’s own height in AGL.The operationStructure AGL height + 400. A tower marked 1036 (453) supports 453 + 400 = 853 ft AGL — and only within a 400-ft radius of it.The trapAdding 400 to the MSL figure. Both conditions bind: inside 400 ft laterally, and no more than 400 ft above the top. Fail the lateral one and the plain 400-ft AGL cap returns.

14 CFR 107.51(b)

3 · Cloud base, then the legal ceiling

You are givenSurface temperature and dew point, in °F.What it meansTemperature and dew point converge at about 4.4 °F per 1,000 ft as air rises.The operation(temperature − dew point) ÷ 4.4 × 1,000 = cloud base in ft AGL. Then subtract 500 ft for the required clearance below cloud.The trapStopping at the cloud base. Two limits apply at once and the lower governs: a base at 700 ft AGL leaves you 200 ft, not 400.

FAA-H-8083-25C Ch.12 · 14 CFR 107.51(d)

4 · Runway number → heading → reciprocal → pattern side

You are givenA runway number, and a CTAF call naming a leg and a direction of turns.What it meansA runway number is its magnetic heading with the final zero dropped. Downwind is flown on the reciprocal.The operationNumber × 10 = heading. + 180 = downwind track. In left traffic the runway sits off the pilot’s left wing, so the aircraft is on the opposite side. “Left downwind Runway 13” → track 310° → aircraft north-east of the runway.The trapAnswering from the chart’s overhead view instead of the pilot’s. The call describes where the pilot is looking from, not where you are standing.

AIM 4-3-3

Every figure above is worked from the cited FAA source, not from a rule of thumb. The convergence rate and its worked example are the FAA’s own, in Fahrenheit — a Celsius version circulates widely but is not in the handbook.

Drill these topics →Open the glossaryFree FAA sources

Checkride107 is independent prep — not affiliated with or endorsed by the FAA. Always verify against the current FAR/AIM and chart legend.