VFR weather minima: visibility and distance from cloud
VMC minima are the numbers every VFR pilot has to know cold and every ATPL candidate gets tested on, because the table has a lot of look-alike rows. The trick is to see that there are only three patterns: classes A to E, classes F and G, and the low-level exception. This page puts them side by side.
The minima table
| Airspace and level | Flight visibility | Distance from cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Classes A–E, at and above FL100 | 8 km | 1 500 m horizontal, 1 000 ft vertical |
| Classes A–E, below FL100 | 5 km | 1 500 m horizontal, 1 000 ft vertical |
| Classes F and G, at and above FL100 | 8 km | 1 500 m horizontal, 1 000 ft vertical |
| Classes F and G, below FL100, above 3 000 ft AMSL or 1 000 ft above terrain (whichever is higher) | 5 km | 1 500 m horizontal, 1 000 ft vertical |
| Classes F and G, at or below 3 000 ft AMSL or 1 000 ft above terrain (whichever is higher) | 5 km | Clear of cloud and with the surface in sight |
Source: SERA.5001 and SERA.5005. The national authority may set different limits in some cases; check the AIP for the airspace you fly in.
How to remember it
- FL100 is the split. At and above it the visibility is 8 km, below it 5 km. The cloud distances stay at 1 500 m and 1 000 ft in both cases.
- The only row that differs on cloud is the low-level one in classes F and G: clear of cloud and the surface in sight, with 5 km visibility.
- The reduced-visibility exception. In classes F and G at or below 3 000 ft AMSL (or 1 000 ft above terrain), the authority may permit a flight visibility down to 1 500 m for aeroplanes flying at 140 kt IAS or less.
Special VFR
Special VFR is a clearance to fly in a control zone when the weather is below the ordinary VMC minima. For an aeroplane the numbers are:
- Flight visibility and ground visibility: not less than 1 500 m.
- Speed: 140 kt IAS or less.
- Clear of cloud and with the surface in sight.
Control zones: take-off and landing
A VFR flight may not take off or land in a control zone, or enter the aerodrome traffic zone or traffic circuit, without ATC clearance when the ceiling is below 1 500 ft or the ground visibility is below 5 km. Both limits are checked, and either one is enough to require clearance.
Class A is not a VFR class
Class A appears in the VMC table, but VFR flights are not permitted there. The row is kept for guidance only. If an answer option says that VFR is allowed in class A with a clearance, it is a distractor.
Where students lose marks
- Mixing up 8 km and 5 km. Say it as “eight above FL100, five below”.
- Using the clear-of-cloud wording in the wrong row. The clear-of-cloud rule belongs to the low-level exception in classes F and G, not to classes A–E.
- Mixing up flight visibility and ground visibility. The control zone limit is ground visibility, the table is flight visibility.
This is a study aid, not the regulation. The reference is SERA.5001, SERA.5005 and SERA.5010 and the AIP of the State you fly in.
Quick answers
What is the VMC visibility at and above FL100?
8 km, with 1 500 m horizontal and 1 000 ft vertical distance from cloud. This applies in classes A to E and in classes F and G.
What is the minimum visibility for Special VFR?
1 500 m flight visibility (and ground visibility), at a speed of 140 kt IAS or less for aeroplanes.
Is VFR allowed in class A airspace?
No. The class A minima in the SERA table are given for guidance only and do not imply that VFR flights are accepted in class A.
When is a VFR take-off or landing in a control zone not allowed without clearance?
When the ceiling is below 1 500 ft or the ground visibility is below 5 km.
Make it stick
Fly the VMC Minima drill: every item is a streak you have to land.