Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) Practice Exam

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Prepare for the Certified Flight Instructor Exam. Engage with comprehensive multiple-choice questions, with hints and explanations for each answer. Master the knowledge needed to become a certified flight instructor.

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.

In METAR reporting, what does the letter "X" represent?

Freezing rain
Intense conditions
Thunderstorms
High winds

The correct answer is: Intense conditions

In METAR reporting, the letter "X" signifies intense weather conditions or phenomena. In the context of METAR, this usage is often seen to indicate phenomena that are significantly impactful, such as heavy precipitation or severe weather conditions—situations that demand immediate attention from pilots and other aviation professionals. Recognizing this code is essential for understanding the severity of current weather and ensuring safety during flight operations. While "X" can indicate intense conditions, other weather lexicons and codes serve to convey specific phenomena such as freezing rain, thunderstorms, or high winds—each with its own symbol or abbreviation. Thus, "X" stands out as an alert to pilots regarding more extreme weather that goes beyond ordinary thresholds, emphasizing the importance of keen situational awareness and proactive safety measures.