A TAF is a coded aerodrome weather forecast, typically covering 24–30 hours, used to plan flights beyond the immediate observation window. Comparing TAF trends against booking schedules lets schools proactively rebook weather-doomed lessons instead of absorbing same-day cancellations.
A TAF (Terminal Aerodrome Forecast) is a coded forecast of expected weather at an aerodrome, typically covering 24 or 30 hours and issued four times daily. It uses the METAR vocabulary plus change groups — FM (from), BECMG (becoming), TEMPO (temporarily), PROB (probability) — to describe how wind, visibility, weather and cloud are expected to evolve through the period.
TAFs are aerodrome-specific and only issued for fields with forecast service, so training flights to smaller strips interpolate from nearby TAFs plus area forecasts. Reading change groups correctly — especially the difference between BECMG and TEMPO — is a core theory skill and a frequent exam trap.
Why it matters for flight schools
The TAF is the scheduling weapon most schools underuse. A front arriving at 14:00 is visible in the morning TAF — which means the afternoon's five bookings can be proactively moved to tomorrow's gaps before students drive to the airfield, instead of cancelling them one by one at the desk. Schools that work the TAF against the booking sheet each morning convert weather losses into rebookings; schools that don't just absorb the cancellations.
How FlightLogger handles it
FlightLogger shows the day's bookings against instructor and aircraft availability in one view, so when the TAF kills an afternoon, the front desk can rebook the affected lessons into open slots in minutes.
Frequently asked questions
What does TEMPO mean in a TAF?
Temporary fluctuations lasting less than an hour at a time and covering less than half the indicated period — for example passing showers. BECMG, by contrast, indicates a lasting change to new conditions within the stated window.
How reliable are TAFs for planning training flights?
Good for the broad picture within 12–18 hours — fronts, wind shifts, deteriorations — less precise on exact timing. Plan the day's schedule from the TAF, confirm each flight against the current METAR at dispatch.