2 things:
1. I met an FAA instructor once who had flown out of Long Beach where he said IFR flight into VMC was commonplace (apparently instructors must have IFR licence) or they could not find any VMC to reach VFR! He did not like the Australian rules to instructors which apparently forbid such a practice, hence removing from students the experience of getting used to being in cloud and the difficulties they could encounter. He thought that was more value than teaching how to get out of trouble. This also assumes his flying school aircraft were equipped for IFR flight which also might be different in Australia. (Disclaimer: long ago conversation so details might not be accurate)
2. In conjuction with this post, a note about requesting special VFR clearance. According to ICAO PANS/ATM Doc. 4444 Para.7-14, this can only be issued by ATC to allow a VFR pilot to transit non-VMC conditions for the purposes of arriving, departing or transitting a Control Zone. Australian regulations modify ICAO in Part 172 Manual of Standards para 12.1.3 to allow Special VFR in Control Area, and
not for transit purposes.
- I recently heard Channel 9 news state that ATC had "allowed" the Kobe Bryant helicopter pilot to fly in non-VMC conditions, this is apparently (subject to NTSB Interin Report) true, but Ch. 9 is ignorant of the purpose of a Special VFR clearance. The only reason a controller should refuse a Special VFR clearance is if he/she cannot separate the aircraft from IFR or other Special VFR aircraft in the Class C or D control zone. Normally VFR flights in Class C or D can simply have traffic information on other VFR flights, but not under Special VFR. The controller is not required to make an assessment of whether Special VFR conditions exist, that is the pilots job, however controllers do have a duty of care to pass on relevant information such as a recent IFR pilots estimate of the visibility, and confirm the pilot still wishes to proceed Special VFR.
- So VFR pilots, do not assume that a Special VFR clearance contains a clearance to operate in less than the Special VFR minima for your type of aircraft, that is your job - it simply means that there are no other aircraft in your way.