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?

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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.

Low-Level Wind Shear and Microbursts: Recognition, Reports, and Escape

PlaneWX · Last reviewed October 1, 2026

Wind shear is a sudden, drastic change in wind speed or direction over a short distance. Near the ground, on takeoff or approach, it can take away airspeed and lift faster than you can react. The most severe kind is the microburst, a small, intense downdraft from a shower or thunderstorm. The FAA’s advice: avoid it, and recognize it early [1, paras. 19.2.4 and 22.7.3].

Key takeaways

Don’t take off or land with a thunderstorm approaching or a shaft of heavy rain or virga near the runway [1, paras. 22.7.3 and 22.8.2].
Treat a sudden airspeed gain near convection as a warning of the loss that follows [1, para. 22.7.3.4.1].
If you meet it, report it as numbers: airspeed gained or lost, and the altitudes [2, para. 7‑1‑22].

Key facts

Wind shear is a sudden, drastic change in wind speed or direction over a small area [1, para. 19.2.4].
It “often remains undetected and is a silent aviation weather hazard.” [1, para. 19.2.4]
Non-convective LLWS: 10 kt or more per 100 ft, in a layer over 200 ft thick, within 2,000 ft of the surface [1, para. 19.2.4.1].
A microburst is the most severe type of wind shear [1, para. 22.7.3].
Microburst downdrafts can reach 6,000 fpm; outflow winds can produce a 90 knot shear [2, para. 7‑1‑24].
A microburst intensifies for about 5 minutes after it hits the ground [2, para. 7‑1‑24].
Only 5 to 15 seconds may be available to recognize and recover [1, para. 22.7.3.1].
A sudden airspeed gain near convection may mean a loss is coming [1, para. 22.7.3.4.1].
ATIS keeps a wind shear statement for 20 minutes after the last report [1, para. 26.8].
Report wind shear as airspeed gained or lost and the altitudes, not “negative” or “positive” [2, para. 7‑1‑22].

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

The Handbook calls wind shear a hazard that “often remains undetected and is a silent aviation weather hazard.” [1, para. 19.2.4] Most of the detection systems at airports were built for airline operations, and many GA airports have none. This page covers what low-level wind shear and microbursts are, the visual and instrument clues, where alerts come from, what the FAA’s recovery guidance says, and how to report what you find.

What is low-level wind shear?

“Wind shear is the sudden, drastic change in wind speed and/or direction over a small area, from one level or point to another, usually in the vertical” [1, para. 19.2.4]. The Pilot/Controller Glossary describes “a tearing or shearing effect” that “can exist in a horizontal or vertical direction and occasionally in both.” [3]

The Handbook defines the non-convective kind precisely: “Non-convective LLWS is defined as a wind shear of 10 kt or more per 100 ft in a layer more than 200 ft thick that occurs within 2,000 ft of the surface.” It “is commonly associated with passing frontal systems, temperature inversions, and strong upper-level winds (greater than 25 kt).” [1, para. 19.2.4.1] A calm surface under a strong wind just above a night inversion is a classic setup. So is a front passing the airport.

Convective wind shear comes from showers and thunderstorms: downbursts, microbursts, and gust fronts [1, paras. 19.2.4.2 and 22.7.3]. The thunderstorm guide covers the storms themselves.

What is a microburst?

“Convective clouds, shower cells, and thunderstorm cells sometimes produce intense downdrafts called downbursts that create strong, often damaging winds and wind shear.” “Smaller, shorter-lived downbursts are called microbursts.” A microburst spreads out in all directions when it reaches the surface. “It is the most severe type of wind shear.” [1, para. 22.7.3]

Size. The downdraft is typically less than 1 mile across as it descends; near the ground, the outflow can spread to about 2 1/2 miles [2, para. 7‑1‑24].
Strength. Downdrafts can be as strong as 6,000 feet per minute, and horizontal winds near the surface as strong as 45 knots, a 90 knot change from headwind to tailwind across the microburst [2, para. 7‑1‑24].
Timing. “An important consideration for pilots is the fact that the microburst intensifies for about 5 minutes after it strikes the ground.” “An individual microburst will seldom last longer than 15 minutes from the time it strikes the ground until dissipation.” [2, para. 7‑1‑24]
More than one. “Pilots are therefore cautioned to be alert for additional microbursts if one has already been encountered or observed.” [1, para. 22.7.3]

What are the signs?

“Microburst activity may be indicated by an intense rain shaft at the surface, but virga (i.e., streaks of precipitation falling from a thunderstorm cloud but not reaching the ground) at the cloud base and/or a ring of blowing dust is sometimes the only visible clue” [1, para. 22.7.3]. The AIM adds that microbursts occur in heavy thunderstorm rain and “in much weaker, benign appearing convective cells that have little or no precipitation reaching the ground.” [2, para. 7‑1‑24] Because of their size, short life, and dry forms, “microbursts are not easily detectable using conventional weather radar or wind shear alert systems.” [2, para. 7‑1‑24]

What does wind shear do to an airplane?

The Handbook’s four shear terms, and what each does to indicated airspeed [1, paras. 22.7.3.4 to 22.7.3.4.2]:

Shear	Effect on indicated airspeed	What the Handbook says
Increasing headwind	Increase	Airplane tends to pitch up. “Any rapid or large airspeed increase, particularly near convective weather conditions, should be viewed as a possible indication of a forthcoming airspeed decrease.” [1, para. 22.7.3.4.1]
Decreasing tailwind	Increase	Same performance effect as an increasing headwind [1, paras. 22.7.3.4 and 22.7.3.4.1]
Decreasing headwind	Decrease	Airplane tends to pitch down to regain trim speed [1, para. 22.7.3.4.1]
Increasing tailwind	Decrease	The dangerous one near the ground: performance and climb capability drop [1, para. 22.7.3.4.1]
Downdraft	Little direct change; the airplane is pushed down	“Downdrafts with speeds greater than 3,000 fpm can exist in the center of a strong microburst.” [1, para. 22.7.3.4.2]

A microburst on approach gives you all of them in order: a headwind that tempts you to reduce power and lower the nose, then a downdraft, then a tailwind. The Handbook explains that this sequence “leaves the aircraft in a nose-low, power-low configuration when the tailwind shear occurs, which makes recovery more difficult.” [1, para. 22.7.3] And “It is vital for pilots to recognize that some microbursts cannot be successfully escaped with any known techniques.” [1, para. 22.7.3]

What does the FAA say about recovery?

The Handbook’s accident analyses are mostly of transport airplanes, but the lessons carry over. Its core points [1, paras. 22.7.3 to 22.7.3.3]:

Time is short. “Only 5 to 15 seconds may be available to recognize and respond to a wind shear encounter” [1, para. 22.7.3.1]. On the runway, it “may be as little as five seconds from the initial encounter.” [1, para. 22.7.3.2]
Don’t trade pitch for airspeed. “Successful recovery from an inadvertent wind shear encounter necessitates maintaining or increasing pitch attitude and accepting lower-than-usual airspeed.” [1, para. 22.7.3.1] Follow your airplane’s flight manual for the technique and power setting.
Go around early. “Pilots should be alert for indications of a microburst early in the approach phase, and ready to initiate a missed approach at the first indication.” [1, para. 22.7.3]
A stabilized approach helps you see it. “A stabilized approach with clearly defined callouts is essential to aid in the recognition of unacceptable flightpath trends and the need to initiate recovery.” [1, para. 22.7.3.3]

Pilots who fly a wind shear escape should tell ATC as soon as practicable, once the aircraft is under control [2, para. 7‑1‑22].

Where do wind shear alerts and forecasts come from?

When wind shear or a microburst is reported by pilots or detected by LLWAS, WSP, TDWR, or ITWS, “ATC issues the alert to all arriving and departing aircraft.” [1, para. 26.8] The full list of sources [1, Table 3-6]:

Where wind shear information appears	What it tells you
TAF WS group	Forecast non-convective LLWS at an airport, with the height and the wind at the top of the layer (TAF guide) [1, Table 3-6]
AIRMET Tango	Issued when non-convective LLWS below 2,000 ft AGL is occurring or expected [1, Table 3-6]
Convective SIGMET	“Possible LLWS is implied within the convective SIGMET area.” [1, Table 3-6]
LLWAS	“A wind shear alert occurs when wind shear ±15 kt is detected.” [1, Table 3-6]
TDWR and WSP	Microburst and wind shear alerts that controllers read to you from the same standardized display [2, para. 7‑1‑24]
ATIS	A wind shear or microburst statement “for 20 minutes following the last report or indication of the wind shear/microburst.” [1, para. 26.8]
PIREPs	What another pilot actually met: airspeed gained or lost, and at what altitudes [2, para. 7‑1‑22]

The AIM describes the airport systems in detail. LLWAS sensors sit on poles around the runways [2, para. 7‑1‑24]. Most small airports have no detection system at all, so a forecast, a PIREP, or your own eyes may be all you get.

How do you report wind shear?

The AIM urges pilots “to promptly volunteer reports to controllers of wind shear conditions they encounter.” [2, para. 7‑1‑22] Say what happened in numbers:

Instead of	Say	Why
Calling it negative or positive wind shear	The airspeed change and altitude. The AIM example: “encountered wind shear, loss of 20 knots at 400.”	Reports of negative wind shear “have been interpreted to mean that no wind shear was encountered.” [2, para. 7‑1‑22]
A report with no numbers	Each change in order: “gained 25 knots between 600 and 400 feet followed by loss of 40 knots between 400 feet and surface.”	The AIM’s recommended method is the gain or loss of airspeed and the altitudes [2, para. 7‑1‑22]
Saying nothing	The effect on your aircraft: “encountered an abrupt wind shear at 800 feet on final, max thrust required.”	If you can’t give numbers, report the effect [2, para. 7‑1‑22]

More on the PIREP format is in the PIREP guide.

Where are the official wind shear references?

Official wind shear references

Links checked October 1, 2026: all returned HTTP 200. AC 00‑54, Pilot Windshear Guide, is cancelled and is not linked.

Where does wind shear information mislead pilots?

No alert is not no shear. Wind shear often goes undetected, and most airports have no detection system [1, para. 19.2.4][2, para. 7‑1‑24].
Benign looking cells. Dry microbursts can come from light virga [2, para. 7‑1‑24].
The first gust is the good news. The headwind gain comes before the loss, and asymmetric microbursts may not give you that warning at all [1, paras. 22.7.3 and 22.7.3.4.1].
“Negative wind shear.” A PIREP worded that way can be heard as “none” [2, para. 7‑1‑22].

How do you use wind shear information in a go/no-go decision?

The decision is yours as PIC. Habits drawn from the FAA guidance above:

Read the TAF WS group and AIRMET Tango. Both forecast non-convective LLWS [1, Table 3-6]. Strong winds above a night inversion or a frontal passage near your departure or arrival time deserve a plan.
Wait out the shower. A microburst seldom lasts more than 15 minutes on the ground [2, para. 7‑1‑24]. Holding or delaying is usually cheap; the Handbook’s guidance is to not land or take off in the face of an approaching thunderstorm [1, para. 22.8.2].
Brief the go-around before the approach. Decide what airspeed change makes you go around [1, para. 22.7.3].
Listen to the ATIS and the frequency. A wind shear statement stays on the ATIS for 20 minutes after the last report [1, para. 26.8].
Pass it on. File the PIREP in numbers [2, para. 7‑1‑22].

Where does wind shear 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. Wind shear information feeds the Brief. Here’s how PlaneWX handles it, as its help center describes [5]:

Brief: against your limits. Wind shear is a graduated deduction of 10 to 20 points based on the wind shear speed limits in your profile (Scoring).
Brief: TAF wind shear counts early. Beyond 12 hours, most checks wait, but when a TAF covers departure or arrival, PlaneWX still scores TAF wind shear and crosswind, and a hard violation can take the score to 0% (Scoring).
Brief: thunderstorms near the field. Thunderstorms and squalls in TAFs and METARs are among the conditions that are “always unfavorable regardless of your score math” (Scoring).
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. If you met shear, note where and file the PIREP. Self Debrief is a PlaneWX Labs feature for Pro Plus (The Risk Loop).

The help center is plain about the limits: “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)

Check forecast wind shear against your limits in a PlaneWX briefing, or read how PlaneWX scores wind and wind shear.

Frequently asked questions

What is wind shear?

“Wind shear is the sudden, drastic change in wind speed and/or direction over a small area, from one level or point to another, usually in the vertical” [1, para. 19.2.4]. It can happen at any altitude, but near the ground there is little room to recover.

What is non-convective low-level wind shear?

“Non-convective LLWS is defined as a wind shear of 10 kt or more per 100 ft in a layer more than 200 ft thick that occurs within 2,000 ft of the surface.” [1, para. 19.2.4.1]

What causes low-level wind shear without thunderstorms?

The Handbook says it “is commonly associated with passing frontal systems, temperature inversions, and strong upper-level winds (greater than 25 kt).” [1, para. 19.2.4.1]

How big is a microburst?

The AIM says the downdraft is typically less than 1 mile in diameter, and the outflow near the ground can extend to about 2 1/2 miles. Downdrafts can reach 6,000 feet per minute, and surface winds of 45 knots can produce a 90 knot shear across it [2, para. 7‑1‑24].

How long does a microburst last?

The AIM: “An individual microburst will seldom last longer than 15 minutes from the time it strikes the ground until dissipation.” It intensifies for about 5 minutes after it strikes the ground [2, para. 7‑1‑24].

What are the signs of a microburst?

An intense rain shaft, virga at the cloud base, or a ring of blowing dust, which “is sometimes the only visible clue” [1, para. 22.7.3]. The AIM notes microbursts can come from benign looking cells with little rain [2, para. 7‑1‑24].

How long is wind shear kept on the ATIS?

“A statement is included on the ATIS for 20 minutes following the last report or indication of the wind shear/microburst.” [1, para. 26.8]

Is there an FAA advisory circular on wind shear for GA pilots?

Not a current one. AC 00‑54, Pilot Windshear Guide, is cancelled [4]. AC 120‑50A covers wind shear training programs for certain operators, not general aviation pilots. This page relies on the FAA Aviation Weather Handbook and the AIM instead [1, para. 22.7.3][2, para. 7‑1‑24].

How does PlaneWX handle wind shear?

Its help center says wind shear is scored against the wind shear limits in your personal minimums, with a graduated deduction, and a TAF wind shear group over your limit can matter even more than 12 hours out. PlaneWX never recommends GO or NO-GO; you make the call as PIC [5].

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.

AIRMET Tango: The AIRMET series for moderate turbulence, strong sustained surface winds, and non-convective low-level wind shear. Source: FAA Aviation Weather Handbook, 26.3.1.2
Convective SIGMET: The SIGMET issued for thunderstorms over the contiguous U.S. It implies severe or greater turbulence, severe icing, and low-level wind shear. Source: FAA Aviation Weather Handbook, 26.2.4.2
LLWAS (Low Level Wind Shear Alert System): A network of airport wind sensors whose software detects hazardous wind shear and microbursts near the runways. Source: AIM, 7‑1‑24
LLWS (Low-level wind shear): A change in wind speed or direction close to the ground; the TAF WS group covers non-convective wind shear from the surface up to 2,000 ft AGL. Source: FAA Aviation Weather Handbook, 27.4.2.9.4
Microburst: A small downburst whose damaging outflow extends 2.5 miles or less and spreads in all directions when it reaches the ground. Source: FAA Pilot/Controller Glossary, MICROBURST
PIREP (Pilot Weather Report): A report of weather a pilot actually encountered in flight, shared to help other pilots and forecasters. Source: FAA Aviation Weather Handbook, 24.5.1
TDWR (Terminal Doppler Weather Radar): An FAA Doppler radar near major airports, built mainly to detect hazardous wind shear, that updates as often as once a minute in hazardous weather mode. Source: FAA Aviation Weather Handbook, 24.6.2
Wind shear: A sudden, large change in wind speed or direction over a short distance, usually with height. Source: FAA Aviation Weather Handbook, 19.2.4
Wind shear escape: An unplanned abort, flown at maximum thrust in a climb, until wind shear conditions are no longer detected. Source: FAA Pilot/Controller Glossary, WIND SHEAR ESCAPE

This page explains published FAA guidance. It is not a substitute for your aircraft’s flight manual procedures or for training in wind shear recovery. Always get a current briefing before you fly.

References

FAA‑H‑8083‑28B, “Aviation Weather Handbook.” Federal Aviation Administration, Flight Standards Service. April 2, 2026. Paragraphs cited: Table 3-6, 19.2.4 to 19.2.4.2, 22.7.3 to 22.7.3.4.2, 22.8.2, 26.8. https://www.faa.gov/regulationspolicies/handbooksmanuals/aviation/faa-h-8083-28b-aviation-weather-handbook. PDF: https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/FAA-H-8083-28B.pdf
“7‑1‑22. Wind Shear PIREPs” and “7‑1‑24. Microbursts.” Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM), Chapter 7, Section 1. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective July 9, 2026 (Change 3). https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/aim_html/chap7_section_1.html
“WIND SHEAR” and “WIND SHEAR ESCAPE.” Pilot/Controller Glossary. Federal Aviation Administration. Basic with Changes 1, 2, and 3, July 9, 2026. https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/media/PCG_Bsc_w_Chg_1_2_and_3_dtd_7-9-26.pdf
AC 00‑54, “Pilot Windshear Guide.” Federal Aviation Administration. Cancelled; listed for history only and not used as a source for this page.
PlaneWX Help Center: “Scoring,” “Personal Minimums,” “FRAT,” “The Risk Loop.” PlaneWX. Accessed October 1, 2026. Scoring · Personal Minimums · FRAT · The Risk Loop