Name: METAR Radar Sweep (Decoded Aviation Weather)
Rating: 5 (2 reviews)
Author: AverageQuality

METAR Radar Sweep – Aviation Weather Watch Face for Pilots

WARNING: The app is intended only as an in-flight aid and should not be used as a primary information source. If the app contains a barometric altimeter, it will not function in a pressurized aircraft and should not be used in a pressurized aircraft.

Live METAR on your wrist. METAR Radar Sweep turns your Garmin into a pilot's aviation weather watch face: the current observation for your home airport – or the nearest reporting airport found by GPS – decoded into flight category, wind, visibility, ceiling, temperature, dew point and altimeter, framed by an animated radar sweep. Built for private pilots, student pilots, flight instructors, drone operators and anyone who reads the sky before they fly.

WHAT YOU SEE ON THE FACE
- Station identifier (ICAO code) with a weather icon – sun, moon, clouds, rain, snow, fog or thunderstorm, day and night variants
- Flight category in colour: VFR (green), MVFR (blue), IFR (red), LIFR (magenta), with report age – "VFR · 5 MIN AGO"
- Flight-category arc on the bezel and a 60-tick ring with 090° / 180° / 270° bearing labels
- WND – wind direction and speed with gusts, e.g. 190°/8G15 (VRB for variable)
- VIS – visibility
- CIG – ceiling as the METAR group, e.g. OVC012, or NCD / CLEAR
- TMP/DP – temperature and dew point
- ALT – altimeter setting (QNH)
- UTC – live Zulu clock for flight planning and filing

RADAR SWEEP ANIMATION
A radar line sweeps clockwise once per minute – doubling as a seconds hand – with a fading afterglow and random contacts that light up as the beam passes and blink out. Fully translucent, so your background shows through. Switch it on or off in settings. The animation stops in low-power mode, so it stays kind to AMOLED batteries.

ALWAYS CURRENT, ALWAYS HONEST
- METAR refreshed automatically every 5 minutes in the background via your phone's Garmin Connect connection
- Nearest Airport Search: uses the watch GPS to pick the closest airport with a METAR – ideal when travelling. Falls back to your Home Airport when no fix is available
- Report age turns orange after 60 minutes and red after 90; an expired report loses its category colour so old weather is never mistaken for current weather
- The last good METAR is kept for up to an hour if the phone connection drops
- Clear status messages instead of a blank face: CHECK PHONE, AIRPORT NOT FOUND, NO METAR FOUND, SERVER ERROR

BACKGROUNDS
Choose Black, Map Grid or Airspace Rings - On AMOLED devices, MIP devices use the black background.

WARNING
Background images and the animated radar sweep are supported only on AMOLED displays. If your watch model doesn't include this feature, you will see no animation and a black background. Please consider this before purchasing.

UNITS – SET THEM YOUR WAY
- Temperature: Celsius / Fahrenheit
- Wind speed: knots / m/s / mph
- Visibility: statute miles / meters
- Altimeter: inHg / hPa

SETTINGS ON THE WATCH OR ON THE PHONE
Every option is available both in the Garmin Connect IQ phone app and in the on-watch settings menu, and changes apply instantly.

TAP TO LAUNCH GPS LOCATOR
Tap the face to jump straight into our free GPS Locator app when installed: https://apps.garmin.com/apps/7b7548cf-3917-485c-8afa-1ca7a4162ff4

TIPS
We would be ever so grateful if you would consider supporting the development and maintenance with your payment: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/2UXWJSVZSPZNC

DISCLAIMER
This watch face is designed for informational purposes only and should not be used as a primary source for flight planning or in-flight decision-making. While METAR data is fetched from reliable public sources, delays or inaccuracies may occur. Always refer to official aviation weather services and certified navigation equipment when operating an aircraft.

The developer is not liable for any loss, injury, or incident resulting from the use or misuse of this watch face.