What are the minimum requirements for airplane operations under Special VFR in Class D airspace?

Since its inception Part-SERA has dictated VFR minima to legally fly under VMC (Visual Meterological Conditions) within certain classes of airspace – stipulating a minimum flight visibility and distance from cloud. The UK however has been granted recurring exemptions in the form of an ORS (Official Record Series) that allow us to fly with less restrictive helicopter minima of 1500m visibility with the surface in sight (or 5km visibility for non-helicopters), and no distance from cloud requirements.

The latest exemption has been granted until 25th March 2020, however the European Commission has informed the UK over the last week that they will not be renewing it which means flight in UK airspace under VMC will return to following the published SERA mimimums stated in SERA.5001 & SERA.5005(a).

With most CTRs in the UK being Class D, this means that when making VFR zone transits or arriving/departing a site within Class D airspace under VFR pilots must remain:

1000 ft vertically clear of cloud;
1500m horizontally clear of cloud;
in a flight visibility of no less than 5km.

What happens to zone transits if the current weather is below this limit?

Pilots will still be able to request a Special VFR (SVFR) clearance which will allow transit of controlled airspace in the lower minima of:

Clear of cloud;
In sight of the surface;
Flight visibility of at least 800m (fixed-wing 1500m);
Flight at airspeed less than 140 kt.

Remember that the pilot needs to request a SVFR clearance from the controller managing the airspace, and once operating under SVFR the controller will then apply lateral & horizontal separation between you and other aircraft – this could lead to some delays if you need to hold for other traffic and also increases the workload of the controller, something to be aware of.

If the ground visibility reported by the tower is less than 800m (f/w 1500m), then a SVFR transit is still possible provided the visibility in flight remains above SVFR limits.

What about departing or landing at a site within controlled airspace?

A SVFR clearance is still possible but will not be issued if the cloud ceiling is less than 600ft or with a ground visibility of less than 800m (helicopters) or 1500m (fixed-wing).

Current ORS 1312: Click Here

EASA Supplimentary Instruction 2020/01: Click Here

Pilots operate under either Visual or Instrument Flight Rules
As weather conditions deteriorate from visual to instrument meteorological conditions however, pilots may find themselves in areas which legally require Instrument Flight Rules, but where navigation can still be accomplished visually
- In these situations pilots have another option, Special VFR (SVFR)
SVFR operations may be authorized for aircraft operating in or transiting a Class B, Class C, Class D, or Class E surface area when the primary airport is reporting VFR but the pilot advises that basic VFR cannot be maintained
Provided that certain requirements are met, pilots may request their Special VFR clearance from Air Traffic Control
A special VFR clearance is never a given and in fact some exceptions do exist

NO SVFR
Where fixed-wing Special VFR operations are prohibited (certain Class B and Class C Surface Areas), aeronautical publications will mention "NO SVFR"
A list of these Class B and Class C surface areas is contained in 14 CFR Part 91, Appendix D, Section 3 and are also depicted on sectional aeronautical charts
- Atlanta, GA (The William B. Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport)
- Baltimore, MD (Baltimore/Washington International Airport)
- Boston, MA (General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport)
- Buffalo, NY (Greater Buffalo International Airport)
- Chicago, IL (Chicago-O'Hare International Airport)
- Cleveland, OH (Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport)
- Columbus, OH (Port Columbus International Airport)
- Covington, KY (Cincinnati Northern Kentucky International Airport)
- Dallas, TX (Dallas/Fort Worth Regional Airport)
- Dallas, TX (Love Field)
- Denver, CO (Denver International Airport)
- Detroit, MI (Metropolitan Wayne County Airport)
- Honolulu, HI (Honolulu International Airport)
- Houston, TX (George Bush Intercontinental Airport/Houston)
- Indianapolis, IN (Indianapolis International Airport)
- Los Angeles, CA (Los Angeles International Airport)
- Louisville, KY (Standiford Field)
- Memphis, TN (Memphis International Airport)
- Miami, FL (Miami International Airport)
- Minneapolis, MN (Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport)
- Newark, NJ (Newark International Airport)
- New York, NY (John F. Kennedy International Airport)
- New York, NY (LaGuardia Airport)
- New Orleans, LA (New Orleans International Airport-Moisant Field)
- Philadelphia, PA (Philadelphia International Airport)
- Pittsburgh, PA (Greater Pittsburgh International Airport)
- Portland, OR (Portland International Airport)
- San Francisco, CA (San Francisco International Airport)
- Seattle, WA (Seattle-Tacoma International Airport)
- St. Louis, MO (Lambert-St. Louis International Airport)
- Tampa, FL (Tampa International Airport)
- Washington, DC (Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Andrews Air Force Base, MD)

Instances where an airport is observed VFR by the pilot, but not reported VFR
- This may occur in areas where fog or weather are prone in one area of an airport, but not the runway environment

A private pilot with VFR equipment during the day can request SVFR, it is not until night that you must be instrument rated, and the aircraft be instrument equipped
Special VFR is a tool available to any private pilot
- Additionally, it is a great tool to avoid inadvertent IMC
ATC will never solicit a Special VFR clearance, unless specifically requested by the pilot
At the end of the day, however, just because you can do something doesn't mean you should
- Always maintain your personal minimums regardless of what the regulations say you can do
Remember that SVFR only applies within the terminal area (approximately 5 NM around the airfield) and therefore operations outside of this area (usually class E airspace) require VFR minimums be maintained
Use Special VFR with caution, especially at night
- The requirement for an IFR rated pilot with an IFR equipped airplane is there as preparation for possible inadvertent IMC
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