For planning a VFR flight, what must the destination be forecasted as at ETA plus one hour?

• A. Equal to or greater than the minimum at ETA + 1 hour
• B. Greater than the maximum at ETA + 1 hour
• C. Equal to the minimum at ETA - 1 hour
• D. Less than the minimum at ETA + 1 hour

Answer: (A)

In planning a VFR flight, you must ensure the destination’s weather forecast for ETA plus one hour meets or is better than the basic VFR minimums for that destination. This provides a safety margin for forecast uncertainty and en route changes, and ensures you’ll have legal, safe conditions to land if you arrive around that time. So the forecast at ETA plus one hour should be equal to or greater than the minimum VFR visibility and ceiling required for the destination’s airspace. For example, if the minimum VFR conditions are 3 miles visibility and a 1,000-foot ceiling, the ETA plus one hour forecast should meet or exceed those values. If it doesn’t, you’d need to reconsider or adjust the flight plan.