Planning a Flight
Visual Flight Rules
The pilot of an aircraft is responsible for determining whether or not the meteorological conditions permit flight in accordance with visual flight rules. The criteria for determining visual meteorological conditions are summarised in the table below:
| Distance from cloud. | Distance from cloud. | Flight Visibility | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horizontal | Vertical | - | |
| At and above FL100 | |||
| Class B airspace | clear of cloud | - | 8 km |
| Class C, D, E, F and G airspace. | 1500m | 1000ft. | 8 km |
| Below FL100 | |||
| Class C, D, E, F, and G airspace. | Clear of cloud and in sight of the surface | Clear of cloud and in sight of the surface | 5 km |
| alternatively At or below 3000 ft. | |||
| Class F and G airspace | Clear of cloud and in sight of the surface | Clear of cloud and in sight of the surface | 5 km |
| For fixed wing aircraft flying at 140kt or less | |||
| Class C, D and E airspace | Clear of cloud and in sight of the surface | Clear of cloud and in sight of the surface | 5 km |
| Class F and G airspace | Clear of cloud and in sight of the surface | Clear of cloud and in sight of the surface | 1500m |
| For helicopters | |||
| Class C, D and E airspace | Clear of cloud and in sight of the surface | Clear of cloud and in sight of the surface | - |
| Class F and G airspace | Clear of cloud and in sight of the surface | Clear of cloud and in sight of the surface | Compatible with speed. |
Note 1: for the purposes of VMC climbs and descents, airways crossings and other airways penetrations, the VMC minima for class A airspace will be:
At or above FL100 - 8km flight visibility, 1500m horizontal and 1000ft vertical separation from cloud.
Below FL100 - 5 km flight visibility, 1500m horizontal and 1000 ft vertical separation from cloud.
Note 2: for the purposes of gliders crossing airways in VMC by day, the minima will be:
At all levels, 8km flight visibility, 1500m horizontal and 1000 ft. vertical separation from cloud.
Note 3. For fixed wing flights taking off or landing at aerodromes within Class B, C or D airspace the reported meteorological visibility at the airfield concerned shall be taken to be the flight visibility.
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