Perhaps this sounds familiar: you are at your local airport running your preflight and you notice that although the weather at your destination is excellent, and conditions en route are also good, some low clouds are lingering nearby. Everything is clear in your direction of travel, but the rotating beacon is on. Due to the clouds, the airport is now operating under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), and you were planning for a Visual Flight Rules (VFR) trip. Show Now what? Do you have any options other than waiting it out or filing an IFR flight plan (assuming you have earned your instrument rating)? Did you know you may be able to get underway without a delay simply by requesting and receiving a Special VFR clearance? What is a Special VFR clearance?Normally, if a pilot is flying under visual flight rules, the pilot must continue to abide by the VFR rules throughout the duration of the flight. When making an approach to landing, if conditions are such that the airport is designated instrument flight rules only, in theory the VFR pilot must divert to an alternate location that is accepting VFR traffic. The same applies to taking off. If conditions at the originating airport do not meet VFR minimums of 3 statute miles (SM) visibility or 1,000’ cloud separation, as a rule VFR pilots will be unable to takeoff since the airport is under IFR. Exceptions can be made, however, under the right circumstances, and this is where Special VFR (SVFR) clearances come into play. A Special VFR clearance is an authorization that VFR pilots can request, and which may be issued at air traffic control (ATC)’s discretion. The clearance allows a VFR pilot to takeoff or land from an IFR airport under Special Visual Flight Rules providing they meet the Special VFR clearance restrictions. Most of the time if an airfield is operating under IFR, it makes sense for VFR pilots to divert if they are in the air or remain on the ground if they are waiting to take off. A SVFR clearance does not allow you to enter clouds. The scenarios where requesting a Special VFR clearance makes sense are when you have excellent weather surrounding or near the airport in your direction of travel. If it is just the immediate area which is below minimums, and you are still safely able to navigate visually until you land or until you reach the surrounding VFR airspace on takeoff, a Special VFR clearance might make sense. What airspace are Special VFR clearances used in?The FAA allows special VFR clearance to be issued for terminal areas in Class B, Class C, Class D, and Class E airspace, although some Class B and Class C airports do not issue them. FAR Part 91.151, Part 91 Appendix D Section 3 contains a list of airports which do not authorize Special VFR clearances. Aeronautical publications for these airports will also indicate “NO SVFR.” Requirements for VFR aircraftThe requirements aircraft must meet to be eligible to receive a SVFR clearance are detailed under FAR Part 91.157, and depend on whether you are flying fixed wing or rotary wing as well as whether it is day or night. Fixed wing aircraft flying during the day must meet the following requirements:
Between sunset and sunrise, fixed wing aircraft must meet day requirements along with the following additional requirements:
Rotary wing pilots must meet fewer requirements than their fixed wing counterparts in order to qualify for a Special VFR clearance. Rotary wing pilots do not need to be IFR certified to request night SVFR clearance, and they are also not constrained by the 1 statute mile visibility requirements. Rotary pilots must simply:
Restrictions on Special VFR clearancesProvided you meet the requirements to be eligible for a special VFR clearance and that clearance is granted, you should still expect to be subject to certain restrictions. IFR traffic takes priority over VFR and SVFR traffic. This means your request may be delayed, denied, or subject to specific instructions to keep you out of the way of IFR traffic. Your SVFR clearance exempts you from meeting normal VFR cloud layer clearance minimums, however you must still remain clear of the cloud layer. Remember that one of the requirements for obtaining a special VFR clearance is having at least 1 statute mile of ground visibility. Ground visibility at the time of request is determined by the commissioned automated weather station at the airport you are requesting SVFR for if that airport has a weather station. If it does not, the controller will ask the pilot to confirm that they have at least 1 statute mile of flight visibility. If visibility drops below 1 mile after the clearance has been issued, the flight no longer meets SVFR qualifications. The pilot has three choices at this point. They can request an IFR clearance if they are IFR certified and the aircraft is properly equipped for IFR flight. If conditions permit, they can exit the airspace and return to a VFR or SVFR area. If neither of the first two options are feasible, the pilot must declare an emergency. How to request Special VFR clearanceAs a pilot, it is your responsibility to request Special VFR clearance under conditions when it makes sense to do so. Know the restrictions and requirements, and only ask for Special VFR clearance if you, your aircraft, and the current conditions meet the parameters. Per FAA policy, the request for Special VFR clearance must come from the pilot and cannot be initiated or suggested by the controller, although you may hear a controller subtly prompt by asking you what your intentions are or advising you that an ATC clearance is required to enter or depart a designated surface area. Watch FLY8MA’s Special VFR footage for a real-world example of how to request a special VFR clearance. Notice that the pilot simply requests a “special into Merrill [the destination airport].” Since the controller is juggling multiple aircraft, he does not hear the initial request. He advises the pilot that her destination is “in IFR conditions.” Since he knows she is most likely calling to request special clearance, but he cannot suggest it, after advising the pilot of IFR conditions, the controller adds, “say intentions.” The pilot then requests and receives special VFR clearance into her destination. Clearance requests must be made and approval received prior to entering the area. Make your clearance request to the tower at a towered airport or Approach, Center, or the closest FSS if the airport you are seeking clearance for has no currently operational tower. While a Special VFR clearance does not require you to file a flight plan, the controller will need to know enough information about your flight that they can fit you in around IFR traffic. When you request your Special VFR clearance, remember that SVFR traffic is prioritized behind IFR traffic. If you qualify for a clearance, but there is too much IFR traffic in the area, you may be denied or advised to expect a delay before your clearance is granted. The FAA does not allow for SVFR aircraft to cause a delay to arriving or departing IFR traffic. TakeawaysWhen conditions over an airport dip just below the minimums for visual flight rules, but you have clear weather in your direction of travel, a Special VFR clearance can mean the difference between sitting on the tarmac and getting on your way. This type of clearance can also allow you to land on a clear runway even if the opposite end is socked in and the airfield is operating under IFR. If your local airfield is in a location prone to low cloud cover, and the field often reverts to IFR only, it may be time to take the plunge and earn your instrument rating. This would allow you the option of opening an IFR flight plan rather than needing to ask for SVFR clearance. Already instrument rated but need to polish your skills prior to scheduling your next proficiency check? Break open a copy of Instrument Flight Review for a thorough refresher of everything you need to know to fly IFR. Remember: a Special VFR clearance is not sanctioned permission to go scud running. Only request SVFR when it is safe to do so and you can quickly transition to an airspace that meets VFR minimums. Use Special VFR clearances as a tool to get you flying toward better weather, not as a work around for flying in marginal conditions.
Visual Flight Rules (VFR) are a set of regulations under which a pilot operates an aircraft in weather conditions generally clear enough to allow the pilot to see where the aircraft is going. Using the VFR flight rules, the pilot must be able to operate the aircraft with visual reference to the ground, and by visually avoiding obstructions and other aircraft. Except when operating as a special VFR flight, all VFR flights shall be conducted in VMC conditions of visibility and distance from clouds equal to or greater than the minima presented in the table described in the VFR Minima documentation. Except when a clearance is obtained from an air traffic control unit, VFR flights shall not take off or land at an aerodrome within a control zone, or enter the aerodrome traffic zone or traffic pattern:
VFR Level restrictionsMinimal altitudeAll VFR flights shall not be flown except for take-off, landing or except by emission from the appropriate authority:
Some countries adopt a minimum height above 1000ft over natural parks and reserves. Some countries also make a minimum height of flight between 1000ft to 5000ft over cities. Unless authorized by the appropriate ATS authority, VFR flights shall not be operated:
VFR flights above FL 290 are forbidden in RVSM airspace. The maximum VFR flight level is ICAO defined. According to your national regulation (AIP), it may be different. For military aircraft, please consult Special Operations Department for HQ rules or your Special Operations rules of your division to have the exact limitations. Cruising flight levelExcept where otherwise indicated in air traffic control clearances or specified by the appropriate ATS authority, VFR flights when operated above 900 m (3 000ft) from the ground or water shall be conducted at a flight level/altitudes appropriate to the track as specified in the following levels :
The cruise altitude (flight level) for VFR flights must be chosen using these assigned rules and must follow the semicircular rules depending on the heading of the aircraft. Check VFR cruise altitude documentation in order to have the full table with explanations including semi-circular rules. An air traffic control clearance shall be obtained prior to operating a controlled flight or a portion of a flight as a controlled flight:
In those cases, an aircraft operated as a controlled flight shall maintain continuous voice communication and establish two-way communication with the appropriate air traffic control unit. Note that in IVAO, the pilot must use text mode if the voice communication is not possible. An aircraft operated in accordance with the visual flight rules which wishes to change to compliance with the Instrument Flight Rules shall:
In a controlled aerodrome, the air traffic controller can issue a special VFR clearance to an aircraft, which is below the VMC minima in his controlled zone, in order to let him reach a new zone where the weather conditions are in line with the VMC rules. Special VFR clearance use depends on your local regulation (ATS authority): This type of clearance can be forbidden in some countries or at some airfields. Flight visibilities reduced to not less than 1500m (clear of clouds) is permitted for special VFR flights at speeds that give adequate opportunity to observe other traffic or any obstacles in time to avoid collision. The night VFR flight – called NVFR sometimes – is a VFR flight which is partly performed during the aeronautic night. In some countries or airfields, night VFR flights are not allowed. Please consult your national and local regulations.
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What is the minimum weather conditions for aircrafts operating under special VFR in Class D?
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