How is PlaneWX different from my EFB or aviationweather.gov?

Your EFB is excellent for charts, filing, and day-of flying. Aviationweather.gov and Flight Service (including 1800WXBRIEF) give you official weather products. PlaneWX sits beside those tools. It does not replace them. What PlaneWX adds is decision support days out: a WX Score matched to your aircraft and personal minimums, a dynamic FRAT on the FAA PAVE framework, and mentors who see the same briefing you see. You can also share a flight plan into PlaneWX from a supported EFB. You stay PIC. Charts, filing, and official sources stay where they belong.

Is the briefing accurate?

Your briefing uses the same official observations and forecasts every pilot relies on: METARs, TAFs, PIREPs, SIGMETs and model guidance. It can only be as accurate as those forecasts, and every forecast carries some uncertainty. Every weather briefing, from any provider, also has the same built-in limit. It describes one departure time, one route, one altitude and one arrival time. Real flights change. You leave late, get rerouted, or get assigned a different altitude, and each change puts you in weather the briefing didn't look at. That's why PlaneWX can keep updating your briefing for monitored flights as the forecast changes, and why your decision-making continues in the air.

How can I make my briefing more accurate?

Enter the flight the way you'll really fly it: a realistic departure time, the route you expect to file or be cleared, your planned altitude, and the right aircraft profile. If any of those change, update the trip and brief again. Check again close to departure, when the forecasts are freshest.

Yes, in specific places. Weather reports, forecasts, model data and NOTAMs are fetched and decoded by code. AI reads forecaster discussions and writes the plain-language briefing, the hazard summary and most section ratings. It also proposes a starting WX Score and some deductions, such as for convection. Ceiling and visibility are always scored by code. Within 12 hours of departure, your personal minimums and aircraft limits are checked by rule-based code, not the AI. Further out, AI also helps weigh icing and turbulence against your limits. You always make the final call.

What is the WX Score?

The WX Score is a 0-100% metric calculated against YOUR personal minimums and your specific aircraft, not generic VFR/IFR categories. It tells you, in a single number, how well conditions are expected to match your standards. Every deduction is transparent and explained.

What is the PAVE framework?

PAVE is the FAA risk framework: Pilot, Aircraft, enVironment, and External pressures. It is the structure behind a serious preflight risk assessment, not a weather product by itself. We walk through it in plain language in our PAVE risk assessment guide. PlaneWX FRAT uses that same framework as a living sit-down assessment near departure. See how PlaneWX FRAT works, including how the briefing and airport context feed the enVironment side.

How far in advance can PlaneWX forecast weather?

PlaneWX provides weather intelligence from 14 days out through departure. Confidence improves as your flight approaches. We are transparent about uncertainty at every time horizon.

What is the mentor system?

PlaneWX connects you with experienced pilots who can review your full briefing (WX Score, aircraft profile, personal minimums) and offer a second set of eyes grounded in shared data, not guesswork. Mentor sits alongside the risk-management loop when you want it.

Is there a free plan?

Yes. Free forever includes full-quality briefings. We limit how much you can use PlaneWX, not how good the analysis is. Details on plans and what each tier includes are in PlaneWX Plans help.

What's the difference between Casual, Pro, and Pro Plus?

Casual is for pilots who fly a few times a month and want auto-monitoring. Pro raises limits and automation. Pro Plus adds Ground Protection, Auto-Brief, Pre-Flight Text, briefed fuel stops, and Labs. Compare current limits and features in Plans help, or start from the pricing section on this page. Personal minimums still drive the WX Score on every plan. If you are setting those for the first time, see personal minimums for weather planning.

What happens after the 14-day free trial?

You keep access on Free, or choose Casual, Pro, or Pro Plus. No card is required to start the trial. Plan details stay in Plans help.

Weather Risk and Personal Minimums: FAA Definitions and Where to Go Next

PlaneWX · Last reviewed October 1, 2026

In FAA terms, a hazard is a condition that could cause an accident, and risk is the combination of how likely and how severe the outcome is. Personal minimums are your own written limits for whether and when to fly, set above the legal floor. Set them before the trip, and don’t adjust them to complete a specific flight [1, chs. 2 to 4] [2, para. 4.15].

Key takeaways

Write your weather minimums down while there’s no pressure, and change one at a time [1, ch. 2].
Count the small risks together; the NTSB sees marginal risks compound [3].
Plan the diversion or cancellation before you go, and tell your passengers [3].

Key facts

A hazard is a condition that could cause an accident [1, ch. 3].
Risk combines likelihood and severity [1, ch. 4].
Personal minimums help you decide whether and under what conditions to fly [2, para. 4.15].
They may change with experience, proficiency, and currency [2, para. 4.15].
Don’t adjust personal minimums to complete a specific flight [1, ch. 2].
Change one variable at a time, after training and with an instructor [1, ch. 2].
PAVE sorts risk into pilot, aircraft, environment, and external pressures [2, para. 4.14].
The NTSB warns that several marginal risks can compound into a dangerous situation [3].
The NTSB urges planned diversion or cancellation alternatives, briefed to passengers [3].
AC 91‑92’s first “Do” is to set personal minimums that reflect your proficiency [2, para. 8.1].

Hover, focus, or tap any dotted term for a definition and its official source.

This page is a short reference. It gives the FAA and NTSB definitions behind weather risk and personal minimums, then points you to the PlaneWX guides that cover each topic in depth.

What do the key terms mean?

Term	FAA definition
Hazard	“Simply put, a hazard is a condition that could cause an accident.” [1, ch. 3]
Risk	“Risk is the composite of the likelihood (probability) and the severity (consequences) of a particular outcome.” [1, ch. 4]
Personal minimum	“A pilot’s set of procedures, rules, criteria, and guidelines that help the pilot decide whether and under what conditions to operate or continue operating in the NAS.” [2, para. 4.15]
PAVE	A personal minimums and preflight planning checklist that splits flight risk into four groups: Pilot in command, Aircraft, enVironment, and External pressures [2, para. 4.14]
FRAT	The form you use during flight planning to record each hazard: “The form used to record each hazard is known as a Flight Risk Assessment Tool (FRAT).” [1, ch. 3]

The Risk Management Handbook adds that the probability and predicted severity of the consequences of a hazard is the risk, and “Identifying, analyzing, and responding appropriately to hazards decreases the risks and increases the margin of safety.” [1, ch. 3]

What does the NTSB say about weather risk?

The NTSB’s risk management alert describes the pattern: “Although few pilots knowingly accept severe risks, accidents can also result when several risks of marginal severity are not identified or are ineffectively managed by the pilot and compound into a dangerous situation.” [3]

One case: a Mooney M20J pilot got briefings that included advisories for mountain obscuration, turbulence, and icing, and cancelled. When the airline flight he booked instead was cancelled, he departed into the weather. The NTSB found the decision to depart into known adverse weather was a cause, and cited self-imposed time pressure [3]. Its advice:

“Refuse to allow external pressures, such as the desire to save time or money or the fear of disappointing passengers, to influence you to attempt or continue a flight in conditions in which you are not comfortable.” [3]
“Plan ahead with flight diversion or cancellation alternatives, and brief your passengers about the alternatives before the flight.” [3]

How should you set and keep personal minimums?

The Risk Management Handbook’s cautions are short. Don’t adjust personal minimums to complete a specific flight; the time to adjust is when you can look honestly at your recent flying. Change one variable at a time. Get training and talk to an instructor before a significant change [1, ch. 2]. Then stick to them: “Professional pilots live by the numbers, and so should general aviation pilots.” “Established personal minimums enable the pilot to make a no-go or divert decision rather than departing with a sense of unease regarding the outcome of a flight.” [1, ch. 2]

Where can you go deeper?

If you want to	Read
Set your weather limits from scratch	Personal minimums for weather planning and how to set weather-based flight thresholds
Run PAVE on a real trip	PAVE risk assessment for weather
Assess the weather risk of a flight	Weather risk assessment for pilots and pilot-specific weather risk
Decide on a VFR day	VFR weather go/no-go
Build margins and know when to wait	Weather decision margins, decision making in GA weather, and signs a trip needs rescheduling
Score a specific flight	The flight risk assessment tool guide

For the weather inputs to your limits, see the ceiling and visibility, thunderstorm, icing, and turbulence guides, and the briefing types guide.

Where are the official risk references?

Official risk references

Start here: FAA Risk Management Handbook, FAA‑H‑8083‑2A, chapter 2 on personal minimums [1].
AC 91‑92, Pilot’s Guide to a Preflight Briefing, definitions and “Do” list [2].
NTSB Safety Alert SA‑023, Pilots: Manage Risks to Ensure Safety [3].

Links checked October 1, 2026: all returned HTTP 200.

Where does weather risk fit in a disciplined decision?

PlaneWX is decision support for general aviation pilots, built around one idea: “Fly like it’s your job.” Treat the weather decision the way a professional crew would, with the same process every time. That process is a loop: Brief, then FRAT, then Fly or Stay, then Debrief, with a Mentor if you want one. Here’s how PlaneWX uses your limits, as its help center describes [4]:

Brief. You set a comfort limit and a max limit for each weather category. The space between them is a caution zone that gives you an early yellow flag; at your max, the help says “This is the boundary you set when you were thinking clearly. Trust past you.” (Personal Minimums)
FRAT. The flight risk assessment opens in the last 4 hours before departure (FRAT).
Fly or Stay. “PlaneWX never recommends GO or NO-GO. You make the call as PIC.” (The Risk Loop)
Debrief. Self Debrief is a PlaneWX Labs feature for Pro Plus (The Risk Loop).

“PlaneWX is not a substitute for a complete, independent pre-flight weather briefing. Pull one from a source you already trust before you fly.” (The Risk Loop)

Set your comfort and max limits in PlaneWX, or read how PlaneWX uses personal minimums.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a hazard and a risk?

A hazard is a condition that could cause an accident; risk is the composite of how likely an outcome is and how severe it would be [1, chs. 3 and 4].

What are personal minimums?

“A pilot’s set of procedures, rules, criteria, and guidelines that help the pilot decide whether and under what conditions to operate or continue operating in the NAS.” [2, para. 4.15]

Do personal minimums change?

Yes. “Personal minimums may change with pilot experience, proficiency, currency, and other factors.” [2, para. 4.15] The Risk Management Handbook says to change them one variable at a time, with training and an instructor, never to complete a specific flight [1, ch. 2].

What does PAVE stand for?

Pilot in command, Aircraft, enVironment, and External pressures. AC 91‑92 says using PAVE is part of the risk management process [2, para. 4.14].

How do small weather risks cause accidents?

The NTSB says accidents can result “when several risks of marginal severity are not identified or are ineffectively managed by the pilot and compound into a dangerous situation.” [3]

Does PlaneWX set my personal minimums?

No. You set a comfort limit and a max limit for each weather category, and PlaneWX scores the briefing against them. PlaneWX never recommends GO or NO-GO; you make the call as PIC [4].

Glossary

Every term below links to the FAA, NWS, or NOAA document that defines it. The same definitions appear when you hover, focus, or tap a dotted term on this page.

FRAT (Flight Risk Assessment Tool): A form or checklist for recording flight hazards and the risk they add up to before you fly. Source: FAA Risk Management Handbook, Chapter 3, Using a Flight Risk Assessment Tool (FRAT)
Hazard: A present condition, event, object, or circumstance that could lead to or contribute to an accident. Source: FAA Risk Management Handbook, Chapter 2
PAVE (Pilot, Aircraft, enVironment, External pressures): The FAA risk checklist that sorts preflight hazards into four groups: the pilot, the aircraft, the environment, and external pressures. Source: FAA Risk Management Handbook, Chapter 1, The PAVE Checklist
Personal minimums: A pilot’s own set of rules and criteria for deciding whether, and under what conditions, to fly or keep flying. Source: FAA AC 91‑92, 4.15
Risk: The combination of how likely an outcome is and how severe its consequences would be. Source: FAA Risk Management Handbook, Chapter 2

This page summarizes published FAA and NTSB guidance. It is not a substitute for training, an instructor’s advice, or a current weather briefing.

References

FAA‑H‑8083‑2A, “Risk Management Handbook.” Federal Aviation Administration. 2022. Chapters 2 (Personal Minimums), 3 (Identifying Hazards and Associated Risks), and 4 (Assessing Risk). https://www.faa.gov/regulationspolicies/handbooksmanuals/risk-management-handbook-faa-h-8083-2a
AC 91‑92, “Pilot’s Guide to a Preflight Briefing.” Federal Aviation Administration. March 15, 2021 (editorial update March 19, 2025). Paragraphs cited: 4.14, 4.15, 8.1. https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_91-92_Ed_Upd_(3-19-25).pdf
NTSB Safety Alert SA‑023, “Pilots: Manage Risks to Ensure Safety.” National Transportation Safety Board. March 2013, revised December 2015. https://www.ntsb.gov/Advocacy/safety-alerts/Documents/SA-023.pdf
PlaneWX Help Center: “Personal Minimums,” “FRAT,” “The Risk Loop.” PlaneWX. Accessed October 1, 2026. Personal Minimums · FRAT · The Risk Loop