Flying Magazine

MAY 21, 2025

The pilot requested Special VFR for low ceilings and visibility, but didnt really express to ATC the issue he was having trying to maintain clearance from the clouds, Sedor said. There have been many others, Sedor said, such as the 2020 crash of the helicopter carrying former NBA star Kobe Bryant. Although NTSB 830.5

Pilot

Pilot Institute

JUNE 27, 2025

Aircraft must operate under ATC clearance. Ceiling is labeled in brackets within the airspace. Cloud clearance: 500 ft below , 1,000 ft above , 2,000 ft horizontal. ATC & Communication: No ATC clearance required for VFR. Key Features: IFR flights only—requires instrument rating. Not commonly shown on sectional charts.

AGL

Pilot Institute

MARCH 6, 2025

AGL is important for drone pilots as the regular ceiling for drone flight is defined as 400 feet AGL. In contrast to a control tower, an FSS is not responsible for giving instructions or clearances to aircraft. Simply put, 400 feet AGL means that the 400 feet is measured from the underlying ground surface above the specific airspace.

Pilot

Fear of Landing

MAY 23, 2025

The closest stations warned of half-mile visibility, below the minimum for Montgomery Field, and 200-foot ceilings. KNKX (8 km northwest) : Half-mile visibility with vertical visibility of 200 feet: essentially zero ceiling with fog sitting right on the ground. They asked for weather reports at surrounding airports.

Approach

Flying Magazine

JUNE 20, 2025

The weather at the time of the accident included an AIRMET active for IFR conditions with ceilings below 1,000 feet and visibility less than 3 miles due to fog and mist. The LPV has lower weather minimums of the two, as it requires a ceiling of 673 feet versus 750 for the LNAV. The pilot acknowledged the clearance.

Knot

Flying Magazine

JUNE 30, 2025

In general, tailwheel airplanes do well on unimproved airstrips because of prop clearance and, with larger main gear tires, the ability to handle ruts and uneven ground. The POH gives obstacle clearance takeoff information only for the tailwheel X Cub and shows it as 974 feet to clear a 50-foot obstacle. However, they are not magic.

Gross Weight

Flight Training Central

MARCH 10, 2025

What is the minimum ceiling and visibility for takeoff, landing, or entering the traffic pattern of an airport in Class E airspace under visual flight rules? A ceiling of 1,000 feet and have visibility of at least 3 statute miles. A ceiling of 1,000 feet and have visibility of at least 3 statute miles.

Visual Flight Rules

Air Facts

APRIL 11, 2025

The same is true with personal minimums: Try to fill out these numbers honestly since your EFB can alarm you if the crosswinds or ceilings at your source or destination are beyond the pale. In todays modern cockpit, you can have charts displayed both on your EFB or on the panel. Same goes with traffic and terrain.

Cockpit

Photographic Logbook

JUNE 1, 2025

Weather factors for this trip included the always concerning combination of low ceilings and rough terrain over Pennsylvania combined with forecasts for strong, gusty wind. Although we deemed the ceiling adequate for the journey, pilots used a variety of tactics to manage it.

Airplanes

Plane and Pilot

JULY 22, 2025

Although we were expecting the ceilings to lift, we were only able to climb to 1,300 feet agl before running out of proper cloud clearance. Finkbeiner and I had big plans for this flight, but Mother Nature had another idea. This certainly isn’t enough room for stalls,” I said. Yeah, I agree,” he replied.

Runway

Photographic Logbook

MAY 18, 2025

2025 brought cold temperatures, low ceiling, rain, and gusty wind, the latter fortuitously right down the runway. A View from the Tower (Mostly) Shortly after my ascent of the tower, all four WFC airplanes were staged, ceilings were declared high enough to fly the usual ride circuit, and pilots simply awaited the arrival of passengers.

Ceiling

Flight Training Central

FEBRUARY 23, 2024

For an instrument pilot, though, there is one key difference between a smaller, non-towered airport and a larger one with an air traffic control tower: obtaining an IFR clearance. Call for your IFR clearance, including route, altitude, and transponder code. Here are three ways to get a clearance at a non-towered airport.

Clearance

Flight Training Central

OCTOBER 14, 2024

Reality IFR Alternate Airport Planning Contingency planning is even more important for IFR pilots on cross-country flights where a cloud ceiling shift of 100’ or visibility change of a ½ mile can mean the difference between seeing the runway at the end of an instrument approach or having to go around and find another place to land.

Ceiling

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 1, 2024

The conditions were a mile of visibility and about 500 feet of ragged ceiling, barely enough to maintain orientation by landmarks passing below. A low ceiling absolutely ends a planned flight, though visibility may be the legal determining factor in some situations. If on radar vectors, the controller may have another option for you.

Weather

Plane and Pilot

AUGUST 6, 2024

The route is simple, GPS direct, but…there’s my personal 1,000-foot en route ceiling requirement, and those silly Smoky Mountains. Also, from when I lived out West, there was the mountaintop clearance guideline—1,000 feet for every 10 knots of wind, with 30 knots meaning no-go. It was now time to plan the trip.

Airplanes

Photographic Logbook

JULY 5, 2024

Dramatic Ceiling Date Aircraft Route of Flight Time (hrs) Total (hrs) 05 Jul 2024 N21481 SDC (Sodus, NY) - LKP (Lake Placid, NY) - SDC 3.2 While I have an instrument rating in my back pocket and the option to request a pop-up IFR clearance, I try to avoid playing that card unless it's truly necessary.

Clearance

Flying Magazine

MAY 30, 2025

Every phase of flight has a checklist, clearance, frequency change, routing amendment, weather check, or procedure review. A typical IFR flight might begin with a clearance to copy prior to takeoff. That clearance might include a complicated route, an altitude restriction, and a departure procedure you will need to brief.

Pilot

Flight Training Central

JULY 1, 2024

While Class E airspace is considered controlled airspace, you do not need an ATC clearance to fly in it. Since Class “E” airspace is basically “everywhere”, most of the focus is placed on identifying the ceiling and floor of the airspace.

AGL

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 3, 2024

This rating should end any temptation to “scud run” around TV towers or under a low ceiling and eliminate the dreaded VFR-into-IMC trap. One more thing: Just because you have earned an instrument rating, there is no requirement to go out and fly in low ceilings and visibilities. The ATC service is better.

Pilot

Pilot Institute

APRIL 24, 2024

Pilots must meet equipment and certification requirements and have ATC clearance to enter. This central core extends up to around 10,000 feet MSL, the airspace’s ceiling. However, the ceiling for each shelf is the same as the core. Although Class B airspace has a typical ceiling of 10,000 feet MSL, exceptions exist.

Clearance

Flight Training Central

FEBRUARY 12, 2024

the ILS approach can be credited regardless of actual weather if you are issued an IFR clearance. When is an IFR clearance required during VFR weather conditions? From 1 hour before to 1 hour after ETA, forecast ceiling 2,000, and visibility 3 miles. the ILS approach can be credited only if you use a view-limiting device.

Instrument Flight Rules

Flight Training Central

FEBRUARY 17, 2024

Additionally, a pilot should report any of the following events:: When vacating any previously assigned altitude or flight level for a newly assigned altitude or flight level ( AIM 5-3-3 ) When an altitude change will be made if operating on a clearance specifying VFR-on-top. ( Each is defined by varying ceilings and visibility.

Instrument Flight Rules

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 22, 2024

While the temptation to find cheaper gas at an uncontrolled field loomed large, the extra services provided by the approach control, clearance delivery, and a busier FBO seemed to make more sense. Bowman Field, where I had stopped on the way north, had a great FBO, 1,000-foot ceilings, radar, and a tower. It was time to divert.

Weather

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 1, 2024

The conditions were a mile of visibility and about 500 feet of ragged ceiling, barely enough to maintain orientation by landmarks passing below. A low ceiling absolutely ends a planned flight, though visibility may be the legal determining factor in some situations. If on radar vectors, the controller may have another option for you.

Weather

Flight Training Central

FEBRUARY 25, 2025

Weather reporting at the destination isnt required so long as some reliable source says theres at least 1000-foot ceilings and three miles visibly. You must maintain VFR cloud clearances appropriate for the airspace. Youre expected to land as soon as practical if you go around, or stay clear of clouds until issued a new clearance.

Approach

Flight Training Central

FEBRUARY 25, 2025

Weather reporting at the destination isnt required so long as some reliable source says theres at least 1000-foot ceilings and three miles visibly. You must maintain VFR cloud clearances appropriate for the airspace. Youre expected to land as soon as practical if you go around, or stay clear of clouds until issued a new clearance.

Approach

Air Facts

AUGUST 16, 2024

Clearing Canadian Customs was a breeze,—a simple telephone call to CANPASS to get our clearance number. The next day was VFR with some lower cloud ceilings along the way. As a Canadian pilot, I have my VFR OVER-THE-TOP rating, so the thin overcast ceilings were not an issue.

Weather

Air Facts

MAY 10, 2024

An acceptable meteorological combination of ceiling, visibility, and wind. If you depart MDA on the downwind or base leg, you’re on your own as far as obstacle clearance. Be fully configured and on speed prior to receiving landing clearance. A known degree of familiarity with the airfield and surrounding terrain. No later than).

Approach

Photographic Logbook

JULY 11, 2024

Moments after climbing through the ceiling over Beverly, MA. We made an IFR departure that morning on runway 16 and climbed above the ceiling in short order. But I accepted the clearance knowing that I could change it with a local Approach control like Syracuse. This was even better than I requested. Still IFR, but barely.

Ceiling

Photographic Logbook

FEBRUARY 4, 2024

More often than not, winter flying in Upstate New York is contingent on the ceiling. Ceilings are often too low to fly beneath and slowly climbing through a cloud layer of indeterminate thickness in sub-freezing temperatures risks icing. However, a persistent low ceiling scuttled those morning plans.

Ceiling

Northstar VFR

JULY 21, 2024

The tower informed me that our airport had just gone to IFR due to the low cloud ceilings. Special VFR If the airport you’re landing at is reporting 1000’ ceilings or less, but you determine that you can get there safely without entering the clouds, then you can request what is called special VFR. I didn’t even notice it!

Visual Flight Rules

Flight Training Central

MARCH 18, 2024

For example, a pilot flying IFR in controlled airspace will have to file an IFR flight plan and receive an ATC clearance. For VFR flight, controlled airspace means increased cloud clearance and visibility requirements. For the VFR pilot flying in B, C, and D airspace, there are communication and/or clearance requirements.

AGL

Flight Training Central

FEBRUARY 19, 2024

When flying IFR, ATC is working with you for the entire flight, from the clearance before you depart or slightly after you takeoff and pickup up a clearance in the air until you land, get close enough to your destination to cancel your IFR, or choose to cancel at some intermediate point. There are lots of benefits to doing this.

Pilot

Flying Magazine

MAY 15, 2024

VFR to MVFR…then 2 miles visibility and a ceiling of 1,200 feet agl. Remind the learners that GPS is much more than the “Direct To” key, because the direct key and the magenta line will put them through a mountainside or airspace requiring a clearance, so they best have their wits about them and maintain situational awareness.

Crosswind

Air Facts

DECEMBER 30, 2024

I completed the rest of the leg with a routine flight and some more mountain terrain with spectacular views although I did encounter solid cloud ceilings with the terrain sometimes less than a thousand feet below me and the cloud layer 500 feet above. I have no words to describe this remarkable view of Marble Canyon.

Weather

Photographic Logbook

APRIL 19, 2024

I expected to manage some cloud layers during the New York portion of the flight, but the forecast called for a high ceiling at Northeast Philadelphia Airport. Phantom City Initially, I believed that the original forecast claiming high ceilings around Philadelphia would come to pass. Famous last words.)

Approach

ABEAM

AUGUST 26, 2023

IFR clearance was direct to DEVBI while we knew we could pick up our oceanic clearance (my first ever !) After passing DEVBI, Scottish Control passed us to Reykjavik Control who told us to pick up our Oceanic Clearance with Iceland Radio on 127.850. after DEVBI with Iceland Radio. So perfect weather.

Weather