French VFR rules allow flight in 1500m visibility or distance flown in 30sec, whichever is greater. That equates to 90kts approx. So of you go faster the visibility limit increases. Very sensible.
Why or why are we not all the same. When don’t we all just adopt ICAO?
In the USA it is Class E ‘everywhere’.
VFR flights in Class C/D/E airspace must have three miles (5 km) of visibility, and fly an altitude at least 500 feet (150 m) below, 1,000 feet (300 m) above, and 2,000 feet (600 m) laterally from clouds.
At 10,000 ft AMSL, the visibility requirement is extended to 5 miles (8 km) and the cloud clearance requirement is extended to 1,000 feet (300 m) below clouds, 1,000 feet (300 m) above, and 1 mile (1.6 km) laterally.
The minimum 10k vis for SVFR in UK CAS is going to make life interesting.
The minimum 10k vis for SVFR in UK CAS is going to make life interesting.
It will certainly wipe out most visits to the Channel Islands by non IR holders.
It will certainly wipe out most visits to the Channel Islands by non IR holders.
Nope, that’s all going to class D in March.
The Farnborough consultation suggests the UK is trying to derogate from the 500ft below cloud VMC requirement, which will pretty much remove all need for SVFR.
Boscomantico, it seems that you are right. I did find this in a UK CAA document, http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/2628/20130625SERAConsultationDocument1.pdf
4.7.2 SERA.5005(b) refers to ‘an aerodrome within a control zone, or enter the aerodrome
traffic zone or aerodrome traffic circuit’. The CAA interprets this to mean the aerodrome
traffic zone or circuit of the said aerodrome within the CTR. Therefore, this inhibition of VFR
clearances does not apply to aircraft crossing the CTR but remaining clear of the aerodrome
traffic zone (ATZ) pertinent to the aerodrome that the CTR is established for. During public
consultation, the UK sought amendment to proposed SERA text on this aspect to ensure
clarity, but this was not accepted, EASA stating that the meaning (as understood by the
CAA) was self evident
Maybe the wording is clearer in some other language than English, but I am with the UK CAA on this one and find the wording far from self evident.
But I am still wondering about SERA.5001 VMC visibility and distance from cloud minima
The table gives that in airspaces F and G at low hight and/or altitude the required visibility is 5 km (*). The asterisks gives “the competent authority” the possibility to allow VMC flight in “visibilities reduced to not less than 1 500 m”.
In the UK consultation that I linked to, I get the impression that the UK CAA will definately allow VFR flight in visibility blow 5km. It’s not really mentioned and seems to be taken for granted. Sad that the Swedish CAA seems to be less pragmatic.
At present (pre-SERA), the visibility requirement for below-140 kt-airplanes is 3 km in low-level airspace G in Denmark. Danish AOPA has indicated that present weather minima will be preserved wherever SERA allows it, but it is only what I have heard. SERA will be implemented December 2014.
