What type of conditions does AIRMET cover?

AIRMETs, or Airmen's Meteorological Alerts, are designed to provide information about less severe weather conditions that may still have a significant impact on the safety of flight, particularly for small aircraft. These alerts focus on conditions such as turbulence, icing, and atmospheric changes that could pose hazards to pilots and their aircraft. While AIRMETs are relevant to various aircraft categories, their primary aim is to alert pilots of smaller aircraft to changing weather conditions that could affect their operations, allowing them to make informed decisions regarding flight safety.

In this context, the other options do not accurately describe the purpose of AIRMETs. Option A pertains to extreme conditions, which are typically covered by SIGMETs rather than AIRMETs. Option C refers to visual flight rules (VFR), but AIRMETs address conditions that can impact both VFR and IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) flights, not just those operating under VFR. Option D focuses strictly on performance and limitations, which are not the primary focus of AIRMETs; instead, AIRMETs emphasize meteorological phenomena that affect flight safety.