The weather is free
There is no FAA usage fee after you have compatible receive and display equipment.
PILOT GUIDE · FIS-B WEATHER
Free inflight weather.
No cell signal required.*
*When within reception range of a FIS-B ground station. Reception may be unavailable on the ground, at low altitude, behind terrain or in remote areas.
FIVE THINGS EVERY PILOT SHOULD KNOW
Useful weather—with important limits.
It arrives on 978 MHz
A receiver listening only on 1090 cannot receive FIS-B.
Reception is not guaranteed
Ground, terrain and remote-area gaps are normal real-world limitations.
Radar is delayed
Use datalink NEXRAD strategically, never to weave between cells.
Always check the age
An older image may remain visible after reception is lost.
WHAT IFT-01 HAS DEMONSTRATED
Actual FIS-B ground-station reception.
A limited field result—not validation of every weather product.
Real tower reception
During a 125.01-mile ground road test, initial reception was observed approximately 19.69 miles from the tower. The positive reception window lasted about 80 seconds and one FIS-B OTHER product decoded.
Individual products remain open
METAR, TAF, NEXRAD, NOTAM, PIREP and SIGMET were not received during that particular test. Ground-level reception can be significantly more limited than airborne reception.
WHAT FIS-B DELIVERS
A broad set of weather and flight information.
Availability and presentation vary by receiver, region and aviation app.
Regional + CONUS NEXRADMETAR + SPECITAFPIREPsAIRMET + SIGMETLightningIcing forecastTurbulence forecastCloud topsWinds aloftTFRs + selected NOTAMsSUA status
NEXRAD, IN PLAIN ENGLISH
The picture is a delayed mosaic—not live radar.
Many radar scans are processed and combined before pieces of the picture are broadcast to your app.
Radar scans
Stations send pulses and measure reflected energy from precipitation and other targets.
A mosaic is assembled
Individual scans are processed into regional and nationwide pictures.
FIS-B broadcasts it
Your receiver and app assemble messages over time. A new connection may initially show only part of the picture.
!
No radar on the screen does not mean no weather ahead. Confirm product age and tower reception before using it in a decision.