Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) Practice Exam

Disable ads (and more) with a membership for a one time $2.99 payment

Study for the Certified Flight Instructor Test. Explore multiple-choice questions, detailed explanations, and get fully prepared for your CFI exam! Achieve success with your flight instructor exam by understanding key concepts and honing your technical skills.

Practice this question and more.


What does "PE" indicate in a METAR report?

  1. Ice Pellets

  2. Rain

  3. Snow

  4. Sand

The correct answer is: Ice Pellets

In a METAR report, "PE" stands for "Ice Pellets." METARs are aviation routine weather reports, and they convey important information regarding weather conditions that can affect flight operations. The use of "PE" specifically denotes occurrences of ice pellets, which are small, translucent balls of ice that can fall from the sky. This is significant for pilots because ice pellets indicate certain weather conditions that can affect visibility, aircraft performance, and runway conditions. Other forms of precipitation in METAR reports have their own distinct abbreviations. For instance, rain is typically indicated by "RA," snow by "SN," and sand by "SG." Understanding these abbreviations helps pilots quickly assess weather impacts and make informed decisions related to flight safety and operational requirements.