Quick Start
MetarBoard Pro works right in your browser — no download or account required.
- Open the app — Visit metarboardpro.com. You will see a default dashboard with a US overview map.
- Click any station dot — A popup shows the ICAO code, flight category, and current METAR data. Click "Add METAR Pane" to open a detailed view for that airport.
- Add more panes — Click the + button in the toolbar to add map panes. Each pane can show a different country, radius view, or METAR detail.
- Save your layout — Click Save in the toolbar to name and store your dashboard. It will be waiting next time you visit.
Flight Categories
Every METAR station is color-coded by flight category based on ceiling and visibility:
Ceiling above 3,000 ft and visibility greater than 5 SM.
Ceiling 1,000 – 3,000 ft or visibility 3 – 5 SM.
Ceiling 500 – 999 ft or visibility 1 – 2.99 SM.
Ceiling below 500 ft or visibility below 1 SM.
Observation is more than 1 hour old. Displayed at reduced opacity.
Pane Types
Each pane on your dashboard can be one of three view types. Click the Edit button on any pane header to change it.
Country View
Shows all METAR stations within a single country. Choose from over 200 countries. Great for a national overview of flight conditions.
Radius View
Shows stations within a set distance (10 – 1,000 NM) of a center airport. Enter any ICAO code and radius to focus on a specific area.
METAR Detail
Full-screen weather breakdown for a single airport. Includes animated wind visualization, zoomable & rotatable airport diagram, crosswind calculator, and 12-hour trend charts.
METAR Detail View
The METAR detail pane gives you everything you need for a single airport:
Wind Visualization
Animated particles flow across the airport diagram in the direction of the wind, color-coded by speed. Calm winds through severe gusts are instantly visible.
Wind Data Overlay
Top-left corner displays wind direction (true heading), speed in knots, gust speed if present, and variable wind indicator.
Airport Diagram Controls
Top-right controls let you zoom in/out (0.5x – 3x) and rotate the airport diagram in 90° increments. Useful when the FAA diagram orientation does not align with the wind overlay. Your zoom and rotation settings are saved with the dashboard and preserved in shared URLs.
Crosswind Calculator
Bottom-left panel lists every runway with headwind and crosswind components. The best runway for current conditions is highlighted automatically. Color-coded: green for headwind, red for tailwind, orange for crosswind above 15 knots. For airports with many runways, the panel starts collapsed — click to expand.
Trend Charts Pro
Bottom-right panel shows 12-hour historical sparklines for ceiling, visibility, and wind speed. Color-coded by flight category thresholds so you can spot trends at a glance.
Wind Speed Colors
When zoomed in to level 6 or closer, animated wind particles appear at each station. Colors indicate wind speed:
Toolbar Controls
The toolbar at the top of the screen gives you quick access to all dashboard functions:
Managing Panes
Each pane has a header bar with controls:
- Drag handle (⠇) — Drag to swap panes and rearrange your layout. Pro
- Label — Shows the view type (e.g., "United States", "50 NM Dallas", "METAR KTKI").
- Station count — Map panes display the number of visible stations.
- Edit button — Opens the edit panel to change the pane's view type, ICAO code, radius, or country.
- Delete (×) — Remove the pane. You must always have at least one pane.
Pane Layouts
Panes automatically arrange based on count:
- 1 pane — Full screen
- 2 panes — Side by side
- 3 panes — One large pane on the left, two stacked on the right
- 4 panes — 2 × 2 grid
- 5 panes — 3 on top, 2 on bottom
- 6 panes — 3 × 2 grid
Saving & Sharing
Auto-Save
Your current dashboard is automatically saved to your browser. Close the tab and come back later — your layout will be right where you left it.
Named Dashboards
Click Save to store your layout with a custom name. Create different dashboards for different routes, airports, or situations. When you load a saved dashboard and make changes, you can either overwrite it or save as a new copy.
Sharing
Click Share to copy a URL that encodes your entire dashboard layout. Send it to a colleague, student, or flight team and they will see exactly what you see. The link includes all pane configurations, zoom levels, map positions, and diagram rotation/zoom settings.
Templates
Not sure where to start? Click Templates to browse pre-built dashboard layouts organized by category. Templates give you a ready-made layout you can customize. Some templates are available to all users; others require a Pro subscription.
After applying a template, you can edit any pane, add or remove panes, and save your customized version.
Accounts & Pro
Free Access
Use MetarBoard Pro without an account. You get 2 panes, basic station popups, and 5-minute data refresh. Your dashboard auto-saves in your browser.
Free Trial
Sign in with Google or email to start a free 14-day trial. The trial unlocks every Pro feature — no credit card required.
Pro Subscription
After your trial, upgrade to keep full access. Pro unlocks:
- Up to 6 map panes
- Save and load dashboards
- Full METAR decode in station popups
- Real-time updates (SSE + 1-minute refresh)
- 12-hour trend charts for ceiling, visibility, and wind
- Fullscreen kiosk mode
- Dark and light theme toggle
- Drag-to-reorder panes
- Pro-only templates
Pricing
$8 / month
$72 / year
$6 / month
Payments handled by Stripe. Cancel anytime from your account menu.
Data & Refresh
METAR data comes from the NOAA Aviation Weather Center (aviationweather.gov). Over 10,000 stations worldwide report observations, typically every hour or more frequently at busy airports.
Refresh Rates
- Free users — Data refreshes every 5 minutes via polling.
- Pro users — Real-time updates via Server-Sent Events (SSE) plus 1-minute polling. You see new observations within seconds of publication.
Stale Data
If a station has not reported in over 1 hour, its marker turns gray and shows at reduced opacity. The popup will display the age and a "STALE" indicator. This usually means the station has a reporting gap — not a problem with MetarBoard Pro.
Fire TV App
Display MetarBoard Pro full-screen on your TV using the Amazon Fire TV Stick app. Perfect for flight schools, FBOs, and pilot lounges.
Setup with QR Code
- Install the app — Sideload the MetarBoard app onto your Fire TV Stick.
- Launch the app — A QR code and pairing code appear on the TV screen.
- Scan with your phone — Use your phone’s camera to scan the QR code. A pairing page opens in your mobile browser.
- Sign in & pick a dashboard — Sign in with Google or email, then choose one of your saved dashboards (or use the default). The dashboard loads on your TV automatically.
Remote Control
Tips
- The TV remembers your paired dashboard — next time you launch the app, it loads directly without the QR setup.
- Press Menu at any time to re-pair with a different dashboard.
- For the best display, use a Pro account with fullscreen kiosk mode and lock enabled on your saved dashboard.
Mobile
MetarBoard Pro works on phones and tablets. On smaller screens, panes stack vertically in a scrollable layout. The toolbar is simplified to essential controls. For the full multi-pane experience, we recommend using a desktop or tablet in landscape orientation.
Disclaimer
MetarBoard Pro is for informational purposes only. It is not intended for flight planning, navigation, or any operational aviation decision-making. Always consult official sources and approved weather briefing services before flying.