FABL/BFN METAR & TAF Bram Fischer International Airport

Bloemfontein, Free StateElevation 4,457 ftLarge airport

CURRENT STATUS

VFR50 min old

No ceiling, visibility 10 SM, towering cumulus.

FLIGHT CATEGORY

VFR

ceiling & visibility

WIND

300@12

steady

VISIBILITY

10 SM

16.1 km

CEILING

None

no BKN/OVC layer

DENSITY ALT

7,236 ft

+2,779 ft vs field

CURRENT METAR

Decoded observation

Observed 1400Z (4:00 PM local) · 50 min old

FABL is currently VFR. Winds are from the northwest at 12 knots. Visibility is 10 statute miles. There is no ceiling. Main concerns: Towering cumulus reported (FEW040TCU).

WIND

300° at 12 kt

Steady.

VISIBILITY

10 statute miles

16.1 km, good.

CEILING & SKY

SCT035 FEW040TCU

FEW and SCT layers are not ceilings.

TEMP / DEWPOINT

31°C / 6°C

88°F / 43°F. 25°C spread.

ALTIMETER

30.09 inHg

1019 hPa, above standard.

WEATHER & HAZARDS

TCU

Towering cumulus reported (FEW040TCU).

Codes in this report: 9999 SCT FEW

Hover or tap any group for a plain-English explanation.

TERMINAL AERODROME FORECAST

TAF timeline

Issued 1000Z (12:00 PM local) · valid to 1200Z (2:00 PM local)

FABL forecast starts VFR at 12Z. Worst period is 09Z to 12Z with VFR possible (TS, CB, GUST). Best period is 14Z to 20Z (VFR). Conditions are roughly steady over the period. Watch the TEMPO group: thunderstorms are temporarily forecast.

Maximum temperature 33°C expected at 1200Z on day 25.
Minimum temperature 16°C expected at 0300Z on day 26.

VFR

1200Z2:00 PM1648Z6:48 PM2136Z11:36 PM0224Z4:24 AM0712Z9:12 AM1200Z2:00 PM

Codes in this report: 9999 SCT TEMPO PROB30 FEW

Tap any group to decode it.

SUGGESTED RISK · TRAINING USE

Suggested risk level: Moderate

›Towering cumulus reported (FEW040TCU).

›Temporarily forecast: light thunderstorm with rain (-TSRA).

A suggested risk level for training and situational awareness only, not a go/no-go authority. Verify with official sources and apply your personal minimums.

FORECAST & PILOT NOTES · SUPPLEMENTAL

Pilot weather notes

Current aviation conditions show flight category VFR, wind from 300° at 12 kt, visibility 10 SM, ceiling none. No extended National Weather Service forecast is available for this location. Key risks: high density altitude.

PILOT WEATHER NOTES

High density altitudeMETAR

Density altitude about 7,236 ft (field elevation 4,457 ft). Expect reduced climb performance and a longer takeoff roll.

OUR HEADSET PICK · NOT SPONSORED

David Clark DC ONE-X

Not sponsored, just the headset we'd buy ourselves: the DC ONE-X, with hybrid noise canceling, Bluetooth, and 30+ hour battery. And David Clark's A+ customer service is the real reason we recommend them.

Visit David Clark

RUNWAYS & WIND

2 runways · crosswind ranking

ON-FIELD METAR

READING THE BARB · SWIPE FOR MORE →

Calm

5 kt

10 kt

15 kt

20 kt

25 kt

30 kt

35 kt

40 kt

45 kt

50 kt

65 kt

75 kt

100 kt

105 kt

Half feather = 5 kt, full = 10 kt, filled pennant = 50 kt; add them up. The staff points the direction the wind blows from.

WIND USED

300° at 12 kt

Components computed from the current on-field METAR wind.

RECOMMENDED

RWY 3011 kt headwind · 4 kt crosswind

RUNWAYS BY WIND · best end

HEAD

11 kt

CROSS

4 kt R

BEST

HEAD

6 kt

CROSS

10 kt L

X-WIND

HEAD

6 kt tail

CROSS

10 kt R

X-WIND

HEAD

11 kt tail

CROSS

4 kt L

Components are estimates from the current METAR wind and runway heading. Verify with the Chart Supplement and NOTAMs.

RUNWAYS

Runway detail

02/20

Dimensions

8,396 x 151 ft

Surface

ASP

Lighting

Lighted

12/30

Dimensions

7,202 x 151 ft

Surface

ASP

Lighting

Lighted

FIELD CONDITIONS

Performance & density altitude

Density altitude

7,236 ft

Pressure altitude

4,287 ft

Field elevation

4,457 ft MSL

Temperature

31°C (88°F)

Dewpoint

6°C (43°F)

Altimeter

30.09 inHg

Density altitude estimates how the aircraft performs versus standard atmosphere. Higher density altitude reduces climb performance and increases takeoff distance.

DAYLIGHT & NIGHT

Sun & logging windows

Sunset

1630Z 6:30 PM

Sunrise

0327Z 5:27 AM

Loggable night

1654Z (6:54 PM local) → 0302Z (5:02 AM local)

end of evening to start of morning civil twilight

Position lights required

1630Z (6:30 PM local) → 0327Z (5:27 AM local)

sunset to sunrise (91.209)

Night passenger currency

1730Z (7:30 PM local) → 0227Z (4:27 AM local)

1 hr after sunset to 1 hr before sunrise (61.57(b))

FAA definitions, shown in Zulu with airport-local time. Verify for your operation.

AIRPORT INFORMATION

Facility & services

Bram Fischer International Airport is in Bloemfontein, Free State. Field elevation 4,457 ft MSL. Airport facts are drawn from OurAirports and the FAA NASR dataset.

OPERATIONS & CONTACT

UseScheduled service

TypeLarge airport

Airline serviceYes

CHARTS & AIRSPACE

ICAO / IATAFABL / BFN

RegionFree State

CountrySouth Africa

Coordinates-29.0927, 26.3024

SERVICES & LIGHTING

Control towerTowered

FREQUENCIES

Communications

119.4

APP WEST

APP

124.3

APP EAST

APP

126.45

ATIS

120.8

TWR

Not all tower/ground/approach frequencies are in our datasets. Verify with the FAA Chart Supplement.

AIRCRAFT ACTIVITY

Traffic patterns

Aircraft activity data is not available for this airport yet.

NEARBY AIRPORTS

Weather reference stations

Current flight category at nearby reporting stations.

FXMM Moshoeshoe I International Airport

69 NM E

VFR

FAKM Kimberley Airport

83 NM W

VFR

OFFICIAL LINKS & SOURCES

↗Official METAR on AviationWeather.gov

↗Official airport website

↗Wikipedia

↗FABL on OurAirports

FREQUENTLY ASKED

Does FABL have a METAR?

Yes. FABL has a current METAR observation, decoded into plain English on this page.

Does FABL have a TAF?

Yes, a TAF is issued for FABL; the decoded forecast timeline is shown above.

What is the field elevation at FABL?

FABL sits at 4,457 ft MSL, which factors into the density-altitude estimate on this page.

Is this an official preflight weather briefing for FABL?

No. wxdecoder.com is for education and situational awareness only. It is not an official weather briefing or a substitute for official sources, NOTAM review, and pilot judgment.

This app is for aviation weather education, training, and situational awareness only. It is not a substitute for an official weather briefing, approved flight-planning software, flight service, dispatch procedures, current FAA regulations, or pilot judgment. Always verify weather with official sources before flight.