VFR Weather Minimas:

VFR, or Visual Flight Rules, are a set of regulations under which a pilot operates an aircraft in weather conditions generally clear enough to see where he’s going. The weather must be better than basic VFR weather minimas, i.e., in VMC, or Visual Meteorological Conditions, as specified in the rules of the relevant aviation authority.

The pilot must be able to operate the aircraft with visual reference to the ground, and by visually avoiding obstructions and other aircraft. If the weather is less than VMC then pilots are required to use IFR, or Instrument Flight Rules and operation of the aircraft will primarily be through referencing the instruments.

Special VFR clearances may be obtained from ATC in controlled airspace (B, C, D and E) when;

• Flight visibility is not less than 1500m,
• During day only,
• With ceiling not less than 600 ft.

Pilots in SVFR must stay out of clouds and fly at airspeeds less than 140 kts.

Under VMC the minimum flight visibility and cloud clearance requirements are to be maintained, varying according to different airspace. Every time you cross the boundary into a new class airspace ask yourself; “What visibility and clearance from clouds must I need here to remain under VFR?”

According to EASA SERA rules, which are mostly the same as ICAO rules; the current VFR Weather Minimas are;

• at and above 10,000 ft. (3,000m), in all classes of airspace; flight visibility must be 8km, cloud clearance must be 1,500m horizontally and 1,000 ft vertically.

• below 10,000 ft. down to 3,001 ft. (or 1,000ft above terrain, whichever is higher), in all classes of airspace, flight visibility must be 5km, cloud clearance must be 1,500m horizontally and 1,000 ft. vertically.

• at or below 3,000 ft. (or at or below 1,000 ft. above terrain) in controlled airspace (A, B, C, D & E) flight visibility must be 5 km and cloud clearance must be 1,500m horizontally and 1,000 ft. vertically.

• In uncontrolled airspace (F & G) at or below 3,000 ft (or at or below 1,000 ft. above terrain), flight visibility should be 5 km, clear of clouds and in sight of surface. Pilots may be tempted to fly in and out of cloud layers, but the rules are there for a very good reason.