A Warning
A recent Club newsletter contained advice on SVFR out of CCR. The clearance included the usual 1500 altitude clearance restriction. What was not included was that that altitude applied only for footprint of the Class Delta airspace. Any pilot who went beyond that airspace in less than VFR conditions would be required to remain within 700' AGL.
It is easy to see how a pilot could use the clearance
to climb for VFR conditions only to be guilty of an airspace violation if not VFR at the 3.1 airport boundary. This situation as in most SVFR situations is best understood in actual flight rather than by reference to a chart.
Informal PIREP
--Pilot to pilot
One of the easiest ways to warn or otherwise advise other pilots it is issue a PRIEP to ATC while suggesting that the information should be known to a specific pilot or other pilots in the on the frequency.
The Clearance
Historical note: Since SVFR has essentially 'canned' arrival/departure procedures, for many years a pilot could obtain a "Card-a-Clearance" and a number. You just had to give your card number and direction you wanted to fly. Must have made things too easy. They stopped using it. You can make your own card-a-clearances on the back of your lapboard. Make one for departures and one for arrivals. The only things that ever change may be reporting points, direction and specific instructions.
A SVFR clearance effectively provides you with services in a like manner to IFR aircraft, that is, one aircraft at a time into the airspace unless one aircraft or the other takes on separation responsibility. In order to grant you an SVFR, the controllers must ascertain that your SVFR will not delay any IFR flights. If you try it, you will probably discover just how long it takes you to fly 5 NM (about 3 minutes in a Skyhawk). This distance is the minimum IFR separation.
Inside a Class Delta this minimum separation in less than VFR conditions can be changed if either aircraft
declared that the other aircraft is "in sight". This puts the 'monkey' off ATC and on the reporting pilot. I have used this method when making an overhead arrival with a departing aircraft in sight. I have also used it with a 900' ceiling and unlimited visibility.
Of late, I have flown with several pilots who contend that they only fly in the best of conditions. They also
fail to recognize that conditions can change in a matter of minutes. Of interest and not of common knowledge is the fact that SVFR arrivals and departures can legally and safely be made from most controlled airports when IFR flights are not possible
The SVFR clearance is a sequential communication from ATC that gives specific limits and procedures for an arrival, departure, or flight through Class C or D airspace. To obtain the proper clearance, you must both know where you are and the direction of entry, departure, or flight through the airspace. The pilot must request the SVFR clearance. ATC is limited to asking, "What are your intentions." The pilot is responsible in obtaining and acknowledging full understanding of the clearance. Any deviation in flying the clearance is a violation of the applicable FARs. The SVFR clearance places responsibility for altitude, visibility, and reporting conditions on the pilot.
Such a clearance has a certain sequence of information.
1. Type/full number of aircraft
2. Is cleared out of/into Airport's Class D airspace
3. Direction out/in
4. Maintain SVFR while in the Class D airspace
5. At or below an altitude (500' below minimum radar vectoring altitude.
6. Report clear/entering the Class D airspace or VFR
FAR 91.157 VISUAL FLIGHT RULES: Special VFR
Weather Minimums
(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...) unless -
(i) The person being granted the ATC clearance meets the applicable requirements for instrument light under Part 61 of this chapter; and
(ii) The aircraft is equipped as required in 91.205(d)
SVFR Clearance Standard Format
Type/full number of aircraft
Is cleared out of/into the Class D surface area
Direction out/in
Maintain SVFR while in the Class D surface area
At or below an altitude (500' below radar vectoring altitude)
Report clear/entering the Class D surface area or VFR
SVFR Clearances (Obtained from CCR tower)
Well, finally, it's your turn but instead of a clearance ATC has told you to do any one of a number of things. You may be told to remain clear of the airspace footprint in a direction or orientated to a specific place. You may be told to overfly the field and remain above a specific altitude while circling overhead and awaiting clearance. It is not unusual to have the best visibility vertically to the ground as opposed to slant range visibility.
Prior to issuing the clearance ATC may require you to acknowledge visual contact with another aircraft either IFR or VFR. Additionally, ATC may put a time restraint on your clearance such having you give assurance that you will be able to be on the ground in two minutes. From overhead your
clearance may read,
"Cessna 618 is cleared into the Concord Class Delta Airspace with reference to departing aircraft to
descend in right traffic for 32 R maintain SVFR
while in the Class Delta airspace report descending
through 1500 report right downwind"
Good radio communications do not have punctuation and should be written that way.
All the time you have been overhead you have been writing down the 'givens' of the clearance while leaving space for 'surprises'. Notice how much of SVFR clearances is "canned". Always the same.
Now all you have to do is read it back as you have written it down. Devise your own shorthand.
The other type of SVFR arrival is where you are told to hold outside the airspace footprint in a specific direction from the airport while you await your clearance. Assume that you have been told to remain clear to the southeast and to expect your clearance in five minutes or by a given time.
"Cessna 618 is cleared into the Concord Class Delta airspace from the southeast maintain SVFR at or below 1500 while in the Class Delta Airspace report entering the Class Delta airspace report left downwind 19L"
Again you will see that much of it is "canned" as before. The only changes are the direction and runway. All other clearances will be much the same. You could even write the clearance down before you get into the plane. Just leave a couple of blanks for surprises. I used to have my SVFR clearances on my lapboard.
SVFR departures are even easier. You get your clearance from clearance delivery or ground control. You indicate the direction of departure. The clearance will be,
"Cessna 618 is cleared out of the Concord Class Delta airspace to the Northwest maintain SVFR at or below 1500 while in the Class Delta airspace report clear of the Class Delta airspace for VFR which ever occurs first"
Since you have written it down in "shorthand" already the readback is easy. Good preparation for IFR training.
The altitude mentioned in all SVFR clearances has to do with the altitude at which radar coverage exists. There is usually a 'letter of agreement' between the tower and approach that determines this altitude. The airport, airspace name, reporting requirements and staying SVFR are common to all SVFR clearances.
Visit a tower and make a copy of the SVFR form that they use. You'll see what I mean. The last word on SVFR is that it will not be an enjoyable experience if you do not know the area. You must know where you are at every moment during SVFR or you shouldn't be there. Do not do SVFR into an unfamiliar airport. Do fly your home area and learn the minimum safe altitudes for at least ten miles around. Get with an old instructor and have a new experience.
Interestingly, if you were to look through any number of flight training programs, you would be most unlikely to find SVFR as part of the program. All too many pilots encounter SVFR for the first time alone, inexperienced, and unaware.
When I am called to give a pilot a checkout in a new aircraft I generally try to hit him with, "Have you ever flow SVFR?" Most often they have never been in SVFR conditions and have no plans to get the experience. I do not fly in SVFR conditions, rain, or winds of 30 knots for fun. I do train my students and other pilots in those conditions, however. I do it because, at some point in our careers toward becoming old pilots we may face conditions not of our choosing. Not too many years ago student pilots could ask for and get SVFR clearances. Bad things happened just often enough so now only pilots can get SVFR. Like IFR, SVFR increases the utility of flying. On occasion, it is possible, safe, and legal to make an airport arrival under SVFR when IFR flights cannot. My personal feeling is that a pilot should be trained in the use of SVFR, not to be used as challenge to weather conditions, but rather, as a parachute through an unplanned condition. SVFR at night is very near an emergency situation. That said here is how to do day SVFR.
Continue To Next Page