Define 'ceiling' in aviation weather reports.

• A. The height of the lowest layer of clouds that is broken or overcast, or the base of the lowest ceiling that affects flight.
• B. The visibility value during takeoff
• C. The maximum altitude allowed by airspace
• D. The altitude of cloud tops above the aircraft

Answer: (A)

Ceiling is the height above the surface of the base of the lowest cloud layer that would affect flight. In weather reports, this is typically the base of the lowest broken or overcast layer, or the base of any cloud layer that constrains flying. If the sky is obscured, ceiling reflects the vertical visibility into that obscuring layer. This matters because it helps determine IFR versus VFR conditions and influences flight planning.

The other ideas don’t fit as well: cloud tops are how high the tops of clouds reach, not where their bases lie; visibility during takeoff is a separate factor from the cloud base; and the maximum altitude of airspace is about airspace structure, not weather.