We had an very interesting January meeting. The plan was to debrief the fly-out to Camarillo. There were three different pilots and three different responses for handling less than perfect flying conditions. All three planes landed safely without issue and it was interesting to hear from the pilots what they were thinking and why they reacted the way they did. Tiphani's flight instructor came to the meeting and added his perspective, which was also interesting. One of the things that came out of our meeting was“what is a Special VFR?” I used it once in San Luis Obispo when the weather was closing in – it is a clearance that the pilot must request when the weather minimums are below VFR requirements. I am including a link to a YouYube video put together by AOPA as a training video. The pilot was the nephew-in-law of someone I went to school with so he told me about the accident initially. AOPA blames the accident on a number of things, I remember hearing comments from locals at the time saying the tower tried to get him to request SVFR, but he wouldn't, at the time I wondered why, but maybe, just maybe he didn't realize it was an option. One of the things that makes flying so exciting is that there is always something new to learn and you never know what little tidbit of hangar flying information you may need on a flight in the future. The link to the AOPA video is below, just copy and paste it into your browser. The SVFR requirements are also below – keep this in mind in case you end up in weather, but you can remain clear of clouds and have 1 mile visibility!
Kevin Bumen, KSBP Airport Manager, will be our guest at the February meeting on the 7th – feel free to invite a guest – and we will have our March meeting in Paso Robles, where several 99's will be speaking. Hope to see you at both meetings.
Lastly, if you haven't joined us lately, the Spirit has new owners and while the menu may look the same, the food is vastly improved, please join us for dinner, you will be amazed!
Special VFR Requirements:
Special VFR is available to pilots operating under Federal Aviation Regulations Part 91(this encompasses general aviation)
Requirements are minimal but differ based on if an aircraft is fixed wing, or rotary wing
Unless ground visibility is at least 1 statute mile; or
If ground visibility is not reported, unless flight visibility is at least 1 statute mile
For the purposes of this paragraph, the term flight visibility includes the visibility from the cockpit of an aircraft in takeoff position if:
The flight is conducted under this part 91; and
The airport at which the aircraft is located is a satellite airport that does not have weather reporting capabilities
The determination of visibility by a pilot is not an official weather report or an official ground visibility report
Requirements Rotary Wing
Helicopters are afforded certain exceptions that fixed-wing are not:
At night pilots need not be IFR certified
Helicopters must remain clear of clouds and may operate in Class B, Class C, Class D, and Class E surface areas with less than 1 statute mile visibility
SFVR Clearances:
An ATC clearance must be obtained prior to operating within a Class B, Class C, Class D, or Class E surface area when the weather is less than that required for VFR flight
The PILOT must request the clearance, ATC will not solicit!
A VFR pilot may request and be given a clearance to enter, leave, or operate within most Class D and Class E surface areas and some Class B and Class C surface areas in special VFR conditions, traffic permitting, and providing such flight will not delay IFR operations
It is not necessary to file a complete flight plan with the request for clearance, but pilots should state their intentions in sufficient detail to permit ATC to fit their flight into the traffic flow
The clearance will not contain a specific altitude as the pilot must remain clear of clouds
The controller may require the pilot to fly at or below a certain altitude due to other traffic, but the altitude specified will permit flight at or above the minimum safe altitude
In addition, at radar locations, flights may be vectored if necessary for control purposes or on pilot request
Note that as per FAR 91.119, the pilot is still ultimately responsible for obstacle or terrain clearance
Traffic separation will be provided from IFR aircraft, other SVFR traffic
ATC does not provide separation after an aircraft leaves the Class B, Class C, Class D, or Class E surface area on a special VFR clearance
Pilots arriving or departing an uncontrolled airport that has automated weather broadcast capability(ASOS/AWSS/AWOS) should monitor the broadcast frequency, advise the controller that they have the"one-minute weather and state intentions prior to operating within the Class B, Class C, Class D, or Class E surface areas”
Chairman’s Message
Special VFR Requirements:
SFVR Clearances:
Special VFR operations exceptions: