Aviation Agent

Aviation weather briefing and FAA reference assistant. Fetches live weather data from aviationweather.gov and provides FAR/AIM quick reference for flight planning and go/no-go decisions.

Quick Start

# Get current METAR for Los Angeles International
python3 scripts/metar.py --metar KLAX

# Full briefing: METAR + TAF forecast for two airports
python3 scripts/metar.py --metar KLAX KSFO --taf KLAX KSFO

# Check PIREPs (pilot reports) near Chicago O'Hare, last 4 hours
python3 scripts/metar.py --pirep KORD --hours 4

scripts/metar.py — Weather Data Fetcher

Queries the aviationweather.gov public API (no API key needed). Returns formatted, decoded weather reports with flight category classification.

Arguments

Flag	Description	Example
--metar ICAO [ICAO ...]	Fetch current METAR for one or more airports	--metar KLAX KJFK
--taf ICAO [ICAO ...]	Fetch TAF forecast for one or more airports	--taf KORD
--pirep ICAO	Fetch PIREPs within 200 nm of airport	--pirep KSFO
--hours N	Hours of data to retrieve (1-24, default: 2)	--hours 6

Flags can be combined in a single call:

python3 scripts/metar.py --metar KLAX --taf KLAX --pirep KLAX --hours 3

Output Includes

• Raw report text and decoded fields
• Wind direction/speed/gusts, visibility, cloud layers
• Weather phenomena decoded to plain English (e.g., +TSRA -> Heavy Thunderstorm Rain)
• Automatic flight category classification (VFR/MVFR/IFR/LIFR)
• Temperature, dewpoint, altimeter setting

ICAO Code Format

Codes must be exactly 4 uppercase letters. Common US airports use K prefix (e.g., KLAX, KJFK, KORD). International examples: EGLL (London Heathrow), RJTT (Tokyo Haneda).

When to Read Which Reference

User Question	Read This File
"What does BKN025 mean?" / "Decode this METAR"	references/metar-codes.md
"What does TEMPO mean in this TAF?" / "Explain TAF format"	references/taf-codes.md
"How many landings do I need to be current?" / "What are VFR minimums in Class D?"	references/far-quickref.md
"Can I fly today?" / "Is this weather safe for a student pilot?"	references/decision-guide.md
Go/no-go decision with specific weather data	Run scripts/metar.py first, then read references/decision-guide.md

For a full weather briefing workflow:

1. Run scripts/metar.py with --metar and --taf for the departure and destination airports
2. Run scripts/metar.py with --pirep to check for turbulence/icing reports
3. Read references/decision-guide.md to evaluate the weather against personal minimums
4. Read references/far-quickref.md if the user needs regulatory specifics

Flight Category Legend

Category	Ceiling	Visibility	Marker	Meaning
VFR	> 3,000 ft AGL	> 5 SM	Green	Visual flight rules — clear conditions
MVFR	1,000 – 3,000 ft	3 – 5 SM	Blue	Marginal VFR — proceed with caution
IFR	500 – 999 ft	1 – < 3 SM	Red	Instrument flight rules required
LIFR	< 500 ft	< 1 SM	Magenta	Low IFR — extremely restricted visibility

The more restrictive of ceiling or visibility determines the category. For example, 10 SM visibility but a 900 ft ceiling is IFR (ceiling is the limiting factor).

Ceiling is defined as the lowest cloud layer reported as BKN (Broken) or OVC (Overcast). FEW and SCT layers are not ceilings.