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.

Flight Risk Assessment Tool (FRAT): What It Is and How to Use One Honestly

PlaneWX · Updated September 30, 2026

A flight risk assessment tool (FRAT) is a form for recording the hazards of a planned flight and the risk they add up to, before you commit to it. "The form used to record each hazard is known as a Flight Risk Assessment Tool (FRAT)." [1, p. 3-10] A FRAT is the pilot's chance to sit down and do an honest assessment, considering all factors in the PAVE checklist. It does not make the decision: "The Flight Risk Assessment Tool (FRAT) is not designed to make the go/no-go decision for you" [2].

Key takeaways

A FRAT turns the PAVE checklist into a written, repeatable check, so the risk picture does not live only in your head [1, p. 3-15][2].
Green is not a green light. The FAA Safety Team says even a high green score should prompt a closer look [2].
A FRAT only works if the inputs are honest. The FAA warns that pilots skew them toward a lower score when they want to go [1, p. 4-2].

Every flight carries some risk. The FAA's original FRAT guidance puts the job this way: "Every flight has hazards and some level of risk associated with it." [3] A FRAT makes you name those hazards before you are in the airplane, when changing the plan is still cheap. This page explains where the FAA FRAT comes from, how its scores work, how to fill one out honestly, and how the PlaneWX FRAT differs from a paper form. It draws on the FAA Risk Management Handbook, the FAA Safety Team, FAA InFO 07015, and AC 120‑92D [1][2][3][4]. For the product announcement, see the PlaneWX FRAT news item.

What is a flight risk assessment tool?

The Risk Management Handbook defines it by what it holds: "Identifying hazards and associating them with risks can be accomplished using a simple spreadsheet or form during flight planning. The form used to record each hazard is known as a Flight Risk Assessment Tool (FRAT)." [1, p. 3-10]

Most FRATs are built on PAVE, the FAA's hazard checklist. The acronym "represents hazards that relate to the pilot, the aircraft, the environment, and external pressures." [1, p. 1-2] The two work together: "Pilots can use the PAVE checklist before flight to identify hazards. Pilots can use a FRAT to organize identified hazards and associated risks for additional analysis." [1, p. 3-15] The Pilot section usually includes IMSAFE, the fitness check for illness, medication, stress, alcohol, fatigue, and emotion [1, p. 3-5]. For the full checklist, see the PAVE guide.

A weather briefing is not a FRAT. The briefing feeds one box, the environment. The FRAT asks about everything else too: your sleep, the airplane's squawks, the runway, and the people waiting at the other end.

Where does the FAA FRAT come from?

The FAA's FRAT material is spread across a few documents, and only some of them describe the tool in detail. Other core FAA references, including the PHAK, the AIM, and the Aviation Weather Handbook, do not use the term. These documents do:

FAA document	Date	What it says about FRATs
InFO 07015, Flight Risk Assessment Tool	July 3, 2007	Introduces a sample FRAT built by the GAJSC Turbine Aircraft Operations Subgroup, for operators to adapt with their own score thresholds [3]
Risk Management Handbook, FAA‑H‑8083‑2A	2022	The main teaching text: numerical and narrative FRATs, the risk matrix, and a worked case study [1, chs. 3 to 5]
FAA Safety Team FRAT page	Updated October 28, 2024	How to read green, yellow, and red, with a link to the FAASTeam online FRAT [2]
AC 120‑92D, Safety Management Systems	May 21, 2024	Mentions FRATs only in passing, to separate a per-flight FRAT from an organization's SMS risk assessment [4, para. 3.4.5.4.1]
FAA Safety Briefing, VFR into IMC article	Updated July 1, 2026	Recommends a FRAT to enforce personal minimums [5]

The 2007 InFO introduced the tool for operators: "The Turbine Aircraft Operations Subgroup as part of the General Aviation Joint Steering Committee has developed a risk assessment tool for use in flight operations." [3] It references the original AC 120‑92, since replaced; the current version is AC 120‑92D, which draws the line between tools: "A FRAT would be used to determine if conditions are acceptable for a specific flight to commence." [4, para. 3.4.5.4.1]

How does FRAT scoring work?

Numerical FRATs

"A numerical FRAT lists different hazards and an associated number, which indicates the significance of each hazard. The pilot selects the relevant hazards, and derives a total score. Typically, the score falls into three ranges." Low scores indicate low risk, the middle range says exercise caution, and scores above the upper threshold indicate danger [1, p. 3-10]. They are quick, but the Handbook lists four drawbacks [1, p. 3-11]:

"The form may not cover all the hazards for a particular flight."
"The range of scores for each risk level may appear arbitrary, leading a pilot to question the results."
"The form does not encourage the pilot to analyze each hazard."
"The form may indicate an overall low level of risk, leading the pilot to ignore the implications of a particular hazard."

Narrative FRATs and the risk matrix

"This type of FRAT asks the user to identify hazards and associate each hazard with risk." It takes longer but addresses many of the drawbacks [1, p. 3-11]. For each hazard you judge two things, because "Risk is the composite of the likelihood (probability) and the severity (consequences) of a particular outcome." [1, p. 4-1] A risk matrix combines them into low, medium, serious, or high. The Handbook's reading of the colors: a medium result implies go, but "risk should still be mitigated if possible." Serious or high imply no-go unless you can reduce the risk and reassess [1, p. 4-2].

Reading green, yellow, and red

The FAASTeam FRAT, "like many other FRATs, produces a score that will fall within one of three risk categories: Green (low), yellow (medium), and red (high)." [2] Its guidance for each:

Score	FAA Safety Team guidance	What to do
Green (low)	Not an automatic go. "Even a score on the higher end of the green range should prompt further examination." [2]	Find the items that drove the score and reduce them where you can
Yellow (medium)	Reduce the high-scoring items, for example by waiting for better weather or taking a more familiar airplane [2]	If it stays yellow, get a flight instructor or FAASTeam Representative to look at it with you [2]
Red (high)	"Should your score land in the red zone, it's crucial to think about cancelling the flight unless the associated risks can be safely managed." [2]	Change the flight until the risk drops, or stay on the ground

The FAA also warns against letting a deadline override red. Its example is a son's graduation, and its advice is that it is "always preferable to wish you were flying rather than wishing you were on the ground." [2]

How do you use a FRAT honestly?

A FRAT is only as good as what you put in it. The Risk Management Handbook names the problem directly: "Pilots sometimes use inputs that skew the risk toward a lower level due to the desire to complete a flight." [1, p. 4-2] A few habits keep it honest:

When unsure, rate it higher. "In such cases, pilots should apply the more conservative parameter(s), which place the risk at a higher level." [1, p. 4-2]
Fill it out close to departure. "The matrix results lose relevance if the hazards change before a flight departs." If the plan changes, such as a new day or a different airplane, redo it on a fresh form [1, pp. 4-2 and 5-4].
Set thresholds that can say no. If your FRAT has never come out yellow, check the scale. The FAA's warning about thresholds that never trigger applies to one pilot as much as to a fleet [3].
Look at the worst item, not just the total. One high hazard can hide in a low total [1, p. 3-11].
Name the pressure. "The pressure to get to a particular destination or to leave at the conclusion of a planned stay can affect a pilot’s judgment." [1, p. 3-8] Write it in the External section, even when it feels minor.
Ask someone. The FAA suggests an instructor or FAASTeam Representative when a score stays yellow [2], and the Handbook adds: "If there is any doubt concerning the outcome of a flight, the pilot should consider hiring an instructor or a mentor pilot and making the trip a learning experience." [1, p. 4-6]

Many experienced pilots run PAVE in their heads, and that discipline deserves respect. The cost is that it all lives in working memory, often under schedule pressure. The FAA Safety Team's view: "Simply running through the task mentally often overlooks the actual risk exposure." "The mind has a tendency to isolate individual risks, which can lead to an underestimation of their collective impact." [2] Writing it down makes the process repeatable. The judgment stays yours.

Why do FRATs matter for GA safety?

Because the hard accidents are rarely about one hazard. The FAA's analysis of NTSB data on VFR flight into instrument conditions found that "An analysis of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) accident database from 2014 to 2023 reveals 180 IMC-related general aviation accidents, with a fatality rate exceeding 82%." It also found that "more than 40% of accidents show some level of intentional flight into IMC." [5] The FAA's recommended intervention: "At the operational level, using a flight risk assessment tool (FRAT) is a good way to enforce standards, such as personal minimums." "FRATs are an excellent way to establish self-accountability and detect building risk before it becomes apparent in any one factor." [5] A FRAT pairs naturally with written personal minimums.

How do you do your first FRAT?

Pick a form. The FAASTeam online FRAT, the Handbook's PAVE form, or an app [2][1, p. 3-11].
Get the weather first. A complete briefing is the input for the environment section.
Go letter by letter. Pilot (IMSAFE and currency), Aircraft (squawks, fuel, performance, runway), enVironment (weather, night, terrain, airports), External (who is waiting and why) [1, pp. 3-4 to 3-11].
Mitigate the top items. Use TEAM: transfer, eliminate, accept, or mitigate each risk, then rescore [1, p. G-4].
Decide, and keep the record. Go, delay, change the plan, or stay. After the flight, compare what you rated with what you found. "A pilot’s risk assessment accuracy should improve with practice." [1, p. 4-5]

How does a paper FRAT compare with the PlaneWX FRAT?

Both follow PAVE, and both leave the decision to you. Electronic FRATs are not new: the FAASTeam FRAT has an online version, and the FAA notes that "FRATs can be as simple as a basic spreadsheet." [2][5] What PlaneWX changed is where the weather part starts. Mark Wolfgang, PlaneWX's founder, built the WX Score to put a number on weather risk against your own minimums, and PlaneWX pioneered an electronic FRAT that integrates that score, so the weather rating begins from your briefing instead of a blank line.

Question	Paper or spreadsheet FRAT	PlaneWX FRAT
Where the weather rating starts	A blank line you fill from your briefing	A hint from your WX Score breakdown, which you can rate differently with a short note [7]
When you fill it out	Whenever you choose	Opens within 4 hours of departure, so it reflects how you are today [7]
Who sets the rating	You	You. PlaneWX pre-fills facts as hints; your rating overrides its suggestion [7]
Stacked risks	Only if you add them up	A Risks are stacking banner at three or more elevated factors [7]
The record	Wherever you file it	Saved with the flight and included in the Final Pre-Flight Briefing email [7]
Where to get it	The FAASTeam online FRAT is linked from the FAA Safety Team page [2]	Included on every PlaneWX plan, including Free [7]

The PlaneWX column comes from the help center [7]. Pick whichever form you will actually use every time.

Where are the official FRAT references?

Official FRAT references

Start here: Risk Management Handbook, Chapter 3, Using a Flight Risk Assessment Tool (PDF pages 28 to 29), with the risk matrix in Chapter 4 (PDF pages 34 to 39) [1].
FAA Safety Team FRAT page and the FAASTeam online FRAT [2].
InFO 07015, Flight Risk Assessment Tool (2007), with the original sample form [3].
AC 120‑92D, paragraph 3.4.5.4.1 (PDF page 49), for FRATs and SMS [4].

Links checked September 30, 2026: all returned HTTP 200 or 206 (partial PDF response), except the online FRAT, a dashboard that blocks automated checks; it opens in a browser from the FAA Safety Team page.

Where does a FRAT fit in a disciplined decision?

PlaneWX is decision support for general aviation pilots, built around one idea: "Fly like it's your job." Professional crews run the same process on every trip, and a FRAT is the part of that process most pilots skip. The loop is Brief, then FRAT, then Fly or Stay, then Debrief, with a Mentor if you want one. Here is how PlaneWX runs each beat, as described in the help center [7]:

Brief. The WX Score rates the weather against your minimums as Favorable (75% and up), Marginal (50 to 74%), or Unfavorable (under 50%). "A low score doesn't mean don't fly. It means don't fly without asking why the number is what it is." (WX Score)
FRAT. "PlaneWX FRAT is a dynamic flight risk assessment, not a static one-time form." It opens within 4 hours of departure, because "The 4-hour window keeps the self-assessment honest and timely." Known facts such as recent hours and night currency are pre-filled as hints, and "Your rating overrides the PlaneWX suggestion." Rating the weather more optimistically than the WX Score hint requires a short note (FRAT).
Fly or Stay. You record GO, NO-GO, Postpone, or Modify. "PlaneWX never recommends GO or NO-GO. You make the call as PIC." "The courage to stay is part of the loop, not a failure of it." (FRAT, The Risk Loop)
Debrief. Self Debrief compares the FRAT picture with how the flight went. It is a PlaneWX Labs feature for Pro Plus and does not change the WX Score (The Risk Loop).
Mentor. Need Help Now unlocks within 2 hours of departure and asks for a FRAT inside the 4-hour window, so a mentor sees more than the weather (Mentors).

FRAT is on every plan, including Free: "We will never gate safety behind a subscription." (The Free Plan) And the limits are stated plainly: "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) Density altitude is a common Aircraft and enVironment hazard; see the density altitude guide.

Run your next FRAT in PlaneWX, read how the PlaneWX FRAT works, or see the FRAT launch news.

Frequently asked questions

What is a FRAT in aviation?

A flight risk assessment tool: a form, spreadsheet, or app for recording the hazards of a planned flight and the risk they add up to. "The form used to record each hazard is known as a Flight Risk Assessment Tool (FRAT)." [1, p. 3-10] It is the pilot's chance to sit down and do an honest assessment, considering all factors in the PAVE checklist.

What does FRAT stand for?

Flight Risk Assessment Tool [1, p. 3-10].

Is a FRAT required by the FAA?

None of the FAA documents on this page makes a FRAT mandatory for personal Part 91 flying. The FAA Safety Team says a FRAT ought to be part of every flight's planning, and the Risk Management Handbook says a FRAT is appropriate for any flight but may not be necessary for less complex ones [2][1, p. 5-4]. Operators with a safety management system may use FRATs as part of it [4, para. 3.4.5.4.1].

Does a green FRAT mean I should fly?

No. "The Flight Risk Assessment Tool (FRAT) is not designed to make the go/no-go decision for you; it serves as a tool to assist in planning your flight and considering a broader spectrum of hazards and risks." Even a high green score should prompt a closer look [2]. The decision stays with the pilot in command [6].

How is PlaneWX FRAT different from a paper FRAT?

It is built on PAVE like the FAA forms, but it opens within 4 hours of departure, pre-fills facts it already knows as hints, shows the WX Score breakdown as a weather hint, and flags stacked risks. Your ratings drive the result, and PlaneWX never recommends GO or NO-GO [7].

Where can I get the FAA FRAT?

The FAA Safety Team FRAT page links to an online version of the FAASTeam FRAT [2]. The Risk Management Handbook also shows a sample numerical FRAT and a narrative PAVE form [1, pp. 3-10 and 3-11].

What is the difference between PAVE and a FRAT?

PAVE is the checklist for finding hazards: pilot, aircraft, environment, and external pressures. A FRAT is where you record them and assess the risk [1, p. 3-15].

How should I set FRAT score thresholds?

Realistically. The FAA's original FRAT guidance warns that "If every flight is within the acceptable range under any condition, it is likely that the thresholds have not been set correctly." [3]

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)
IMSAFE (Illness, Medication, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue, Emotion): A personal fitness checklist that helps a pilot spot aeromedical hazards, the P in PAVE, before a flight. Source: FAA Risk Management Handbook, Chapter 3, Aeromedical
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
SMS (Safety management system): An organization-wide, preventive approach to safety with a safety policy, a positive safety culture, formal hazard and risk methods, and safety assurance. Source: FAA AC 120‑92D, Chapter 1
TEAM (Transfer, Eliminate, Accept, Mitigate): The four ways to handle a risk once it is identified. Some FAA material orders it TEMA. Source: FAA Risk Management Handbook, Glossary
VFR (Visual flight rules): flight category: Ceiling greater than 3,000 feet and visibility greater than 5 miles. Source: AIM, 7-1-7

This page explains published FAA guidance. A FRAT is a planning aid, not a certification or an FAA requirement for personal flying, and no score makes the decision. The pilot in command is directly responsible for the flight [6, para. (a)]. Always get a current briefing before you fly.

References

FAA‑H‑8083‑2A, "Risk Management Handbook." Federal Aviation Administration. 2022. Pages cited: 1-2, 3-4 to 3-11, 3-15, 4-1, 4-2, 4-5, 4-6, 5-4, G-4. https://www.faa.gov/regulationspolicies/handbooksmanuals/risk-management-handbook-faa-h-8083-2a. PDF: https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/2022-06/risk_management_handbook_2A.pdf
"Flight Risk Assessment Tool (FRAT)." FAA Safety Team, Federal Aviation Administration. Last updated October 28, 2024. https://www.faa.gov/general/flight-risk-assessment-tool-frat-faa-safety-team. Online FRAT: https://explore.dot.gov/#/site/FAA/views/FRATTOOL/FRATTool?:iid=1
InFO 07015, "Flight Risk Assessment Tool." Federal Aviation Administration, Flight Standards Service. July 3, 2007. https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/other_visit/aviation_industry/airline_operators/airline_safety/inFO07015.pdf
AC 120‑92D, "Safety Management Systems for Aviation Service Providers." Federal Aviation Administration. May 21, 2024. Paragraph 3.4.5.4.1 and Appendix G. https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_120-92D_FAA_Web.pdf
"Silver Linings, Silver Bullets, and Other Fictions: Avoiding VFR Flight Into Instrument Weather." FAA Safety Briefing, Federal Aviation Administration. Last updated July 1, 2026. https://www.faa.gov/blog/clearedfortakeoff/silver-linings-silver-bullets-and-other-fictions-avoiding-vfr-flight
14 CFR 91.3, "Responsibility and authority of the pilot in command." Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Accessed September 30, 2026. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-F/part-91/subpart-A/section-91.3
PlaneWX Help Center: "FRAT," "The Risk Loop," "WX Score," "Mentors," "The Free Plan." PlaneWX. Accessed September 30, 2026. FRAT · The Risk Loop · WX Score · Mentors · The Free Plan