PPL Meteorology study guide
PPL Meteorology · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The PPL Meteorology examination is one of the theoretical knowledge subjects a candidate must pass before being issued a Private Pilot Licence. In the United Kingdom, private pilot licensing, learn-to-fly guidance, pilot training organisations and medical requirements all sit under the General aviation section of the UK Civil Aviation Authority, which describes itself as the UK's aerospace regulator. The CAA publishes Civil Aviation Publications (CAPs) and maintains a topic-based alert and notification service called SkyWise, both of which are relevant to anyone preparing for theoretical knowledge examinations. Meteorology for the private pilot covers the atmosphere and its stability, pressure and altimetry, temperature and humidity, clouds and precipitation, visibility and fog, wind and local effects, air masses and fronts, mid-latitude depressions and thunderstorms, together with the practical skill of reading and interpreting aviation forecasts and reports. Preparation should be built around the published syllabus and the CAA's own publications, supported by a structured ground-school course at a training organisation and consistent practice on weather charts and coded reports. Because examination formats, question counts, time allowances, pass marks, fees and retake rules are set by the licensing authority and the examining bodies, candidates should confirm the current details directly with the CAA and their chosen training organisation rather than relying on second-hand summaries. Topics on this exam: Meteorology. The PPL Meteorology study guide has 1 section and about 403 words.
01Meteorology
Meteorology tests whether you can turn weather data into flight decisions: altimeter settings, stability, icing risk, wind, and fluent METAR/TAF decoding. Expect calculation-style altimetry and practical judgement questions rather than pure recall. ISA at MSL: 15 °C, 1013.25 hPa, 1.225 kg/m³; lapse rate 1.98 °C per 1000 ft to 36,090 ft, then isothermal at −56.5 °C. Pressure falls roughly 1 hPa per 30 ft near MSL.
403 words, about 2 minMore study resources for PPL Meteorology
- Practice questionsIn the ICAO standard atmosphere, what is the assumed mean sea-level pressure and temperature?
- FlashcardsISA sea-level temperature. 15 °C at mean sea level, with pressure 1013.25 hPa and density 1.225 kg/m³; the standard lapse rate is 1.98 °C per 1000 ft up to 36 090 ft.
- Cheat sheetISA sea-level values: temperature 15 °C, pressure 1013.25 hPa, density 1.225 kg/m³; lapse rate 1.98 °C/1000 ft (6.5 °C/km) up to 11 km (36 090 ft), then isothermal to 20 km.
- Key termsISA (International Standard Atmosphere). A theoretical atmosphere assuming sea-level pressure of 1013.25 hPa, temperature 15 °C, and a standard lapse rate, used as the reference for calibrating altimeters and computing pressure and density values.
- Study planDefine the ICAO standard atmosphere and state the ISA values for sea-level pressure, temperature, and lapse rate, then compute pressure altitude and density altitude for three given airport scenarios.
- Common mistakesCandidates learn the three pressure settings as labels but never build a mental model of what each one measures, so they treat the aerodrome elevation as a simple offset that can be applied in either direction without tracking which surface the altimeter reads zero against.
- Exam-day guidePrint or download the confirmation showing your name, exam date, time and test centre.