GAFOR (General Aviation Forecast)
Weather
GAFOR is a forecast for general aviation that classifies expected visibility and cloud-base conditions in defined regions or routes. It helps assess the broad weather situation for a VFR flight.
- German term
- GAFOR (Wettervorhersage für die Allgemeine Luftfahrt)
- Abbr.
- GAFOR
In Germany, DWD uses categories O, D, M and X, with subdivisions for some categories. Cloud-base assessment uses the published reference height for the area, not simply the departure aerodrome’s elevation. Products and thresholds differ between countries. GAFOR is a regional forecast, not an observation at every point and not a live forecast on this glossary page.
In practice
Check the current official product, validity period and reference heights along your route. Local fog, terrain, thunderstorms and wind can make a flight unsuitable even when the overall category looks favourable.
Related terms
Official sources
Content reviewed: 2026-11
For general information only. Always use official sources, your aircraft's flight manual and current national rules for flight decisions.