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Federal Aviation Administration, DOT

§ 91.157

Airspace Flight

visibility

Distance from

clouds

.............................

1 statute mile hor-

izontal.

(b)

Class G Airspace.

Notwithstanding

the provisions of paragraph (a) of this
section, the following operations may
be conducted in Class G airspace below
1,200 feet above the surface:

(1)

Helicopter.

A helicopter may be op-

erated clear of clouds in an airport
traffic pattern within

⁄

mile of the

runway or helipad of intended landing
if the flight visibility is not less than

⁄

statute mile.

(2)

Airplane, powered parachute, or

weight-shift-control aircraft.

If the visi-

bility is less than 3 statute miles but
not less than 1 statute mile during
night hours and you are operating in
an airport traffic pattern within

⁄

mile of the runway, you may operate
an airplane, powered parachute, or
weight-shift-control aircraft clear of
clouds.

person may operate an aircraft beneath
the ceiling under VFR within the lat-
eral boundaries of controlled airspace
designated to the surface for an airport
when the ceiling is less than 1,000 feet.

(d) Except as provided in § 91.157 of

this part, no person may take off or
land an aircraft, or enter the traffic
pattern of an airport, under VFR, with-
in the lateral boundaries of the surface
areas of Class B, Class C, Class D, or
Class E airspace designated for an air-
port—

(1) Unless ground visibility at that

airport is at least 3 statute miles; or

(2) If ground visibility is not reported

at that airport, unless flight visibility
during landing or takeoff, or while op-
erating in the traffic pattern is at least
3 statute miles.

(e) For the purpose of this section, an

aircraft operating at the base altitude
of a Class E airspace area is considered
to be within the airspace directly
below that area.

[Doc. No. 24458, 56 FR 65660, Dec. 17, 1991, as
amended by Amdt. 91–235, 58 FR 51968, Oct. 5,
1993; Amdt. 91–282, 69 FR 44880, July 27, 2004;
Amdt. 91–330, 79 FR 9972, Feb. 21, 2014; Amdt.
91–330A, 79 FR 41125, July 15, 2014]

§ 91.157

Special VFR weather mini-

mums.

(a) Except as provided in appendix D,

section 3, of this part, special VFR op-
erations may be conducted under the
weather minimums and requirements
of this section, instead of those con-
tained in § 91.155, below 10,000 feet MSL
within the airspace contained by the
upward extension of the lateral bound-
aries of the controlled airspace des-
ignated to the surface for an airport.

(b) Special VFR operations may only

be conducted—

(1) With an ATC clearance;
(2) Clear of clouds;
(3) Except for helicopters, when flight

visibility is at least 1 statute mile; and

(4) Except for helicopters, between

sunrise and sunset (or in Alaska, when
the sun is 6 degrees or more below the
horizon) unless—

(i) The person being granted the ATC

clearance meets the applicable require-
ments for instrument flight under part
61 of this chapter; and

(ii) The aircraft is equipped as re-

quired in § 91.205(d).

aircraft (other than a helicopter) under
special VFR—

(1) Unless ground visibility is at least

1 statute mile; or

(2) If ground visibility is not re-

ported, unless flight visibility is at
least 1 statute mile. For the purposes
of this paragraph, the term flight visi-
bility includes the visibility from the
cockpit of an aircraft in takeoff posi-
tion if:

(i) The flight is conducted under this

part 91; and

(ii) The airport at which the aircraft

is located is a satellite airport that
does not have weather reporting capa-
bilities.

(d) The determination of visibility by

a pilot in accordance with paragraph
(c)(2) of this section is not an official
weather report or an official ground
visibility report.

[Amdt. 91–235, 58 FR 51968, Oct. 5, 1993, as
amended by Amdt. 91–247, 60 FR 66874, Dec.
27, 1995; Amdt. 91–262, 65 FR 16116, Mar. 24,
2000]

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