wots sVFR?

[fudgy2000]

Wots SVFR??? ive read alot about it, but dont understand

thanks!!

[FlyingForFun]

SVFR is a clearance which ATC may offer you, in a Control Zone, when you are not able to comply with the VFR requirements.

The way in which it is used varies from country to country. For example:

In the US, it is often used when the weather is below the VFR requirements for controlled airspace, but above the VFR requirements for uncontrolled airspace. An SVFR clearance can be requested, and may be offered, to get in/out of an airfield in controlled airspace.

In the UK, the most common time SVFR is used is in a Class A control zone - Heathrow, or the Channel Islands - where VFR flight is not possible, so the only way you can enter that airspace without having an IR is with a SVFR clearance. SVFR is also used to get in/out of Class D airports at night, because VFR is not allowed at night in the UK, and IFR is not allowed in controlled airpsace if you don't hold an IR/IMC rating.

Hope that clears things up.

FFF
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[360BakTrak]

You can also use SVFR in Class D Zones when the weather falls below VFR minima.

[mad_jock]

And there was me thinking it was purely there for CPL examiners to make you sweat asking questions before/after your flight.

There are also other slight differences in that the 1500ft rule over built up areas dosn't have to be respected, BUT THE GLIDE CLEAR DOES.

Its something that most pilots accept if given and don't really understand what they are accepting. Most just use it to gain access to controlled airspace and to the pilot it seems its the same as VFR. To the controller it is very much different.

MJ

[FNG]

For helpful information on SVFR, and much else besides, see Irv Lee's FAQ at http://www.higherplane.flyer.co.uk/faq.htm

(SVFR is dealt with in numbers 14 and 15: note that a PPL without an IMC needs minimum visibility of 10 km to fly SVFR)

Irv's post-PPL seminars are well worth the money.

[FlyingForFun]

360 said:

You can also use SVFR in Class D Zones when the weather falls below VFR minima

Which is exactly what I said in my first post, as far as the US is concerned.

However, it's not generally true in the UK, because, as FNG points out, you need 10km vis to fly SVFR if the UK unless you hold an IMCR or IR - so it would be very rare that the weather would be good enough for SVFR but not good enough for VFR.

There are exceptions to this, though. For example, an IMC-rated pilot (who is not subject to the 10km viz restriction) may elect to use SVFR if a Class D zone rather than IFR if the weather is below VFR minima. There are several reasons why he might do this - e.g. the visual approach is more expeditious than following a procedural instrument approach, or the aircraft he is flying in is not capable of flying the instrument approach (or maybe not capable of instrument flight at all).

FFF
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[FNG]

...and one additional qualification to the answer, which is that vis of below 10 km can be accepted on notified routes/ATZs, under:-


ANO Schedule 8.1(c)

He shall not, unless his licence includes an instrument rating (aeroplane) or an instrument meteorological conditions rating (aeroplanes), fly as pilot in command of such an aeroplane:

(i) on a flight outside controlled airspace when the flight visibility is less than 3km;

(ii) on a special VFR flight in a control zone in a flight visibility of less than 10 km except on a route or in an aerodrome traffic zone notified for the purpose of this sub-paragraph; or

(iii) out of sight of the surface.

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Most of this is of relatively little practical significance. For a PPL operating in the London area, one possible use for SFVR is in cutting across the north western corner of the Heathrow CTR (if you speak nicely to the controller first, of course). This could conceivably allow you to fly near Slough, if only in order to bomb it.

[BEagle]

I found it very useful to cut the corner of the LTMA inbound to Fairoaks from the west!

[FlyingForFun]

...cut the corner of the LTMA

Surely you mean that CTR, not the TMA? Because, AFAIK, SVFR is only available in a CTR. I'm sure you knew that, though - just a slip of the finger.

FFF
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[Crashondeck]

Special VFR at night?

Can that be true?

I thought that there was only IFR at night and to fly at night required a night rating or instrument rating.

[360BakTrak]

Crashondeck:

SVFR : A flight made at any time in a control zone which is class A airspace, or in any other control zone in IMC or at night, in respect of which the appropriate ATCU has given permission for the flight to be made in accordance with special instructions given by that unit instead of in accordance with the IFR and in the course of which flight the aircraft complies with any instructions given by that unit and remains clear of cloud and in sight of the surface.

So yes...you can fly SVFR in a control zone at night

[FlyingForFun]

I thought that there was only IFR at night

No... there is no VFR, but that doesn't rule out SVFR.

SVFR is the only way for a PPL without IR/IMCR to fly in a control zone at night. Outside a control zone, you can fly IFR, but you need an IR or IMCR to fly IFR in a control zone - so SVFR is the only way.

FFF
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