Altitudes and Clouds
There is a great difference between being able to recite the VFR minimum altitudes and cloud clearances according to the FARs and applying them on a local flight. I am not advocating that these flights be an every day planned occurrence. Rather, I am proposing that such flights should be part of a pilot's on-going training program. These flights, as training exercises to improve capability, confidence and judgment could prevent an unintentional virgin entry into such conditions.
You will be exposed to flight in vicinity of clouds. If you can sense that the cloud is moving you are too close unless you are within 700' of the ground in the broad flyway between CCR and SAC. Behind Mt. Diablo the height is within 1200' of the ground. Above these altitudes you must have three miles visibility and maintain 500' below, 1000' above and 2000' laterally up to 10,000'. The distances increase above 10,000' MSL. (Mean Sea Level). Try drawing some terrain and airspace and place the words where appropriate:
10,000 feet
1000' above
O.K. to fly
2000' to side 2000' to side
cloud
cloud 500' below
700' O.K. to fly
Mt. Diablo
Contra Costa County has an ordinance for Buchannan Field that expects that no turns will be made below 600' AGL on takeoff and that no turn shall be made from downwind to base below 1000'. This requirement is not a FAR but a local ordinance applicable to CCR and enforceable by local agencies. Every airport may have a similar ordinance that becomes part of the FAR requirement for "all available information" prior to flight. CCR has an unusual Class D airspace footprint of three-(3) nautical mile radius where the standard is 4.4 nautical miles at most controlled airports.
If an instructor does not give a student an opportunity to fly into marginal conditions so as to learn their own personal limits, they are contributing to the VFR into IFR accident rate. No student should get his license without exposure to decision making situations related to weather.
Need to Know Information:
--Will you know your exact location at all times?
--Are your prepared to declare an emergency and climb IMC?
--Will the windshield withstand a bird strike?
--How will you handle a low altitude engine failure?
--How much space is required for a 180-degree turn?
--(Make a 180 for visibility not for turbulence.)
--Make a practice to fly at lower altitudes when weather is better. This makes it possible to determine minimum safe altitudes .....and obstacle locations.
--You want to learn where the wires are in good conditions.
--What is the minimum safe altitude for your direction of flight.
More SVFR
The purpose of SVFR is to make possible arrivals, departures and flight in Classes C, D, E and some B controlled airspace under less than VFR conditions locally. When, within the airspace footprint of an airport, the visibility is reported at less than three miles or the ceiling at less than 1000 feet, flight conditions are declared to be below VFR minimums and any flight other than IFR requires SVFR clearance. This is providing that given a ground visibility of at least 1 statute mile (or flight visibility of at least 1 statute mile if ground visibility is not reported). During the daytime having the rotating beacon operating shows this condition. Special VFR is available only in airspace in which all aircraft are under positive control.
The various airspace minima are aimed at making sure pilots can both fly to a destination and avoid other airplanes. SVFR is a way to reduce the separation burden of the pilot in really marginal conditions while leaving the responsibility. You still need to be able to keep the aircraft under control, figure out where you're going, and avoid hitting mountains and trees along the way.
What SVFR Is Not
SVFR is not a deviation of the FARs. It is a substitution of another FAR standard. The pilot must request SVFR. ATC cannot suggest that you ask for SVFR. ATC can only ask what your intentions are. SVFR requires an ATC clearance. Whenever a pilot in Classes B, C, D or E airspaces cannot proceed in VFR conditions a SVFR ATC clearance may be requested and given where ATC facilities can provide an adequate level of safety. When conditions outside the controlled airspace have the required VFR visibility or in Class G airspace of one mile and you can remain clear of clouds. You can fly in the clear above a Class E or D airport that is below VFR minimums. The ATC clearance allows you to depart controlled airspace fly to VFR conditions.
Only one aircraft IFR or SVFR is allowed in the Class D footprint airspace at one time. Unless one pilot has acknowledged visual contact and accepted responsibility for separation, two planes cannot be in the airspace at the same time. Once a pilot has accepted separation responsibility from ATC it remains in effect as long as you are in the airspace. You should also know that the altitude restriction in the SVFR clearance is due to a 'letter of agreement' between the airport and the local radar facility. The designated altitude is where radar coverage becomes possible. Radar/tower IFR handoffs normally occur as aircraft transit this altitude up or down. SVFR flights are restricted below this designated altitude.
SVFR is not a temporary Class G airspace, either. In class G airspace, no separation is provided by ATC even with radar. Under SVFR the only separation provided by ATC is by clearing only one aircraft into the airspace at a time. Non-radar ATC has separation responsibility only when both aircraft are on the ground. Many pilots have a mistaken idea that under VFR, IFR and SVFR you always receive ATC separation services. Not so.
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.
Just as the biker can best protect himself from automobiles through knowledge of their performance capabilities and rules, so can the VFR/SVFR pilot benefit from knowledge of IFR. Stay clear of IFR approaches, check points and altitudes. Under SVFR the VFR pilot is actually flying in IFR conditions. Normally, SVFR flights are required to remain clear or denied takeoff clearance if an IFR flight is present. IFR flights have priority. If the VFR pilot will listen carefully on the radio he will hear IFR flights being given specific reporting points and routes. Become familiar with both the routes and points so as to remain clear or know where to look for traffic.
SVFR is a good thing to keep in mind for landing if the weather turns bad on you. If you can't do IFR and ATC won't allow VFR, requesting SVFR can get you down safely. I makes me wonder whom, in his right mind, would ask for an SVFR at night if he already has an instrument rating? A pilot who is so doubtful of his remaining fuel that he wants the quickest way in could well opt for the SVFR.
SVFR should never be attempted unless the pilot is VERY familiar with the airport and surrounding area. You must know well all arrival checkpoints from ten miles out right to the airport. You MUST know where you are at all times in relationship to airspace, obstacles, and route. You must know the location and altitudes of all obstructions along the route. You must know what you are doing before SVFR becomes a reasonable option. If you are going to fly under the weather, fly to the right side of valleys and roads. Flying in SVFR conditions requires that you get some experience and training in your area's specific requirements. Again, if your experience has never included SVFR with an instructor do not try it alone the first time.
Class B Airspace
Class B has a modified version of SVFR always available without SVFR clearance requirement. Contrary to some thinking this SVFR is not analogous to Class B airspace since visibility requirements are lower in SVFR and collision avoidance is provided in SVFR by exclusion of other aircraft. The VFR flight visibility of three miles in Class B airspace is not changed but distance-to-clouds minima of 'clear of' are set primarily to try to avoid midair collisions, especially between VFR aircraft and IFR aircraft which may be popping out of clouds. Where Class B surface area primary airport data on the sectional restricts SVFR flight you should know that the restriction applies only to fixed wing aircraft. The basic restrictions to VFR flight in SFO Class B airspace is clear of clouds and three mile visibility in your flight direction is not identical to SVFR. SVFR can be used in Class B by helicopters.
Low Visibility SVFR
The poor visibility of SVFR provides pilots with four areas of difficulty - attitude control, navigation, avoiding impact with terrain, and avoiding impact with other aircraft. A weather front or radiation fog can create SVFR conditions due to visibility. Radiation fog may often linger all day. Ceilings will be reported as indefinite. Even with one-mile ground visibility the slant range visibility may make the only viable approach be from overhead. The fog may be anywhere from 400 to 1000' feet thick vertically. The airport is completely visible only from overhead. In this case the SVFR clearance will direct the pilot to report above the airport at a specified altitude in VFR conditions to await a SVFR clearance. When traffic conditions allow, the SVFR flight will be directed to descend in the pattern for landing. A corresponding departure may be directed to climb in the pattern and report reaching VFR.
Low Ceiling SVFR
Still SVFR does not need to be always flown in poor visibility. It just as likely, and even more likely to be flown in good visibility but under low ceilings. This particular type SVFR is caused by advection fog conditions. Advection fog forms a layer anywhere from 400 to 2000' thick. It will ride like a blanket in and out from the ocean over the land for many miles. How far inland it goes is pretty much determined by the inland temperatures the day before. The hotter the Central Valley of California the further inland will intrude the advection fog. This fog can extend clear across the valley. It moves in and out from the ocean in about four day cycles depending on the interior temperatures. By learning to read the changes you can predict SVFR conditions.
It is possible for a SVFR flight to make a safe arrival at an airport when an IFR flight might not. Once cleared into or out of the Class D or C airspace the SVFR flight has no minimum altitude restriction. You can remain as close to the clouds as you want but must have 1 mile visibility in the flight direction. You could arrive/depart at 300' under SVFR conditions where the IFR pilot would have 400' descent minimums and never see the airport. These flight conditions are not unusual with avection fog in coastal regions.
Occasionally, ATC may delay giving you your SVFR clearance and ask you to report a geographic point just outside the airspace footprint. This enables ATC to slip your SVFR flight, into the airspace with a clearance not possible from farther out due to IFR traffic. Once in this situation, I was less than three minutes from a safe arrival and landing. Knowing what is legal and safe in minimum conditions should be required knowledge.
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