Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Friendliest aviation Ccmmunity on the web
  • Modern site for PC's, Phones, Tablets - no 3rd party apps required
  • Ask questions, help others, promote aviation
  • Share the passion for aviation
  • Invite everyone to Flightinfo.com and let's have fun

Regulations: SVFR

Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Modern secure site, no 3rd party apps required
  • Invite your friends
  • Share the passion of aviation
  • Friendliest aviation community on the web

scuzzer23

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 10, 2004
Posts
49
I understand the purpose of special VFR is to be able to depart controlled airspace with class G weather minimums. This makes sense if there is a disparity between the minimums between controlled and uncontrolled airspace. For instance if it's 1sm vis. and you want to depart class D VFR and continue on through class G under 1200 AGL.

But the thing that confuses me is the regs on requiring an instrument rating for SVFR at night. What's the advantage to SVFR if the weather minimums in class G are no lower than the departing controlled airspace minimums? Why wouldn't you just depart regular VFR? Am I missing part of my brain here?
 
Special VFR does not specifically reduce the minimums to Class G Minimums, it reduces them to 1 mile visibility and clear of clouds, even at night.
So if you were to depart a class D at night normal VFR would be 3, 500, 1000, 2000. It would be the same for Class G, however under Special VFR you could still depart at 1 mile and clear of clouds.

See FAR 91.157
 
I also think you are misunderstanding the rule a little bit.

SVFR allows you to fly VFR "within the airspace contained by the upward extension of the lateral boundaries of the controlled airspace designated to the surface for an airport" with reduced VFR minimums .

I think it's a mistake that only leads to confusion to try to think of it as making Class E into Class G. (Maybe that's why you're confused?)

"the upward extension of the lateral boundaries of the controlled airspace designated to the surface for an airport" just means a Class E, D, or C or B area that runs all the way down to the ground.

Although we tend to think of more extreme scenarios, the rule can be used for more simple purposes: to allow VFR flightin and out of a Class E surface area when the ceiling is less than 1000' or allow you to fly a normal 800 AGL traffic pattern at a Class D with a 1200' ceiling.

My WAG is that the instrument flight requirement for night SVFR is there since 1 mile, clear of clouds in the dark is more likely to result in a navigational error or inadvertent entry into the clouds than during the day.
 
I have used SVFR to do traffic pattern work both day and night when weather was below VFR minimums.
 
Have you ever tried to do that? I have and they wouldn't issue a special since it was VFR. They talked to me like I was crazy.
I wouldn't doubt it. Chances are that to a Class controller, the field is either VFR or not; no reason for them to understand that we need to also stay 500 below the clouds. That's our problem.
 
What's the advantage to SVFR if the weather minimums in class G are no lower than the departing controlled airspace minimums?
Once out of class e into class g, with an instrument rated pilot and airplane, you can proceed IMC in uncontrolled airspace with no clearance.
 
Well, yeah, but he was talking about using special VFR when the ceiling was 1200 feet, or above VFR minimums.

Even though the ceilings technically make it VFR, to stay legal you have to stay 500 feet below that which could put you lower than the traffic pattern altitude. In that case you would be required to get an SVFR clearance to stay legal.
 
Even though the ceilings technically make it VFR, to stay legal you have to stay 500 feet below that which could put you lower than the traffic pattern altitude. In that case you would be required to get an SVFR clearance to stay legal.

But you can't because the field is not IFR. Try it sometime.
 

Latest resources

Back
Top