Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 5, 2024

This article will teach you ways to deal with weather, routes, altitude choices, and using helpful tools when flying in poor visibility. Key Takeaways Creating an IFR flight plan requires looking at weather patterns, fuel requirements, and alternate airports. The ceiling must be at least 2,000 feet above the airport elevation.

Flight Plan

Flying Magazine

MAY 21, 2025

If he had declared an emergency, he would have been given priority, and could have returned to the airport which had a little better weather than his destination, Sedor said. ATC could have given him shallower turns, but they were just treating him like a regular IFR flight. Although NTSB 830.5

Pilot

Pilot Institute

JUNE 27, 2025

Aircraft must operate under ATC clearance. Ceiling is labeled in brackets within the airspace. Weather & VFR Rules: Minimum visibility: 3 statute miles. Weather & VFR Rules: Minimum visibility: 3 statute miles. Cloud clearance: 500 ft below , 1,000 ft above , 2,000 ft horizontal. Not accessible to drones.

AGL

Flight Training Central

MARCH 10, 2025

Each class of airspace is depicted with unique markings on the sectional chart and different VFR weather minimums and equipment requirements. 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? airspace system.

Visual Flight Rules

Fear of Landing

MAY 23, 2025

Weather conditions were poor, with low cloud and fog. Montgomery Field’s control tower is not staffed overnight and the Automated Surface Observing System at Montgomery Field wasn’t working, which meant the crew could not get current weather conditions for their destination. The minimum visibility required is 3/4 miles (1.2

Approach

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 autopilot includes a “level” feature, so should things start going wrong due to weather and/or pilot disorientation, one push brings the aircraft into level flight.

Gross Weight

Air Facts

APRIL 11, 2025

And thats more than just waiting for it to automatically download the latest weather and charts. 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. What about weather and radar color and coverage?

Cockpit

Photographic Logbook

JUNE 1, 2025

Weather Uncertainty and Multiple Choice Routing Date Aircraft Route of Flight Time (hrs) Total (hrs) 01 Jun 2025 N21481 SDC (Sodus, NY) - LHV (Lock Haven, PA) - SDC 2.9 Weather Uncertainty and Multiple Choice Routing Date Aircraft Route of Flight Time (hrs) Total (hrs) 01 Jun 2025 N21481 SDC (Sodus, NY) - LHV (Lock Haven, PA) - SDC 2.9

Airplanes

Photographic Logbook

MAY 18, 2025

Weather-wise, you never know what you're going to get on each third Sunday of May along the south shore of Lake Ontario. 2025 brought cold temperatures, low ceiling, rain, and gusty wind, the latter fortuitously right down the runway. It seemed that he thought I was dispensing take-off clearances. So a took a lot of pictures.

Ceiling

Flight Training Central

OCTOBER 14, 2024

For a flight under IFR or a flight not in the vicinity of an airport, weather reports and forecasts, fuel requirements, alternatives available if the planned flight cannot be completed , and any known traffic delays of which the pilot in command has been advised by ATC.

Ceiling

Plane and Pilot

AUGUST 6, 2024

Maybe it’s the Georgia flying weather, or maybe it’s the ever-increasing emphasis on “old” pilot instead of “bold” pilot, but it seems that flight planning these days is a lot more about if and when than about route and altitude. With my risk profile, IFR really means ignoring crappy VFR and VFR cloud clearance requirements.

Airplanes

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 1, 2024

I cursed my decision to depart in developing low weather, but the only choice now was to press on through the crud, dodging cellular towers lining the highway. The conditions were a mile of visibility and about 500 feet of ragged ceiling, barely enough to maintain orientation by landmarks passing below. We were out of options.

Weather

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

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

Photographic Logbook

JULY 5, 2024

It was late morning, I was hungry, the weather was perfect for flying, and I had no additional plans for the day. 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 Obviously, this meant that lunch in Lake Placid was in order.

Clearance

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 22, 2024

Both trips involved similar routes, the same destination, and periods of both VFR and IFR weather. 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. However, the weather was less so.

Weather

Air Facts

AUGUST 16, 2024

After refuelling, checking weather, filing my VFR flight plan using ForeFlight, coffee and a washroom break, I launched to my next destination, Greensboro. Flying back was bit more challenging from a weather perspective. Andy and I began our flight planning and weather reviews on Wednesday night. During the trip I put 18.1

Weather

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 1, 2024

I cursed my decision to depart in developing low weather, but the only choice now was to press on through the crud, dodging cellular towers lining the highway. The conditions were a mile of visibility and about 500 feet of ragged ceiling, barely enough to maintain orientation by landmarks passing below. We were out of options.

Weather

Flight Training Central

FEBRUARY 12, 2024

The en route weather is IMC. the ILS approach can be credited regardless of actual weather if you are issued an IFR clearance. 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?

Instrument Flight Rules

Air Facts

MAY 10, 2024

An acceptable meteorological combination of ceiling, visibility, and wind. ICAO minima for circling approaches is much higher than that stipulated in the FARs so consider higher weather minima. We also benefit from the latest weather updates. Be fully configured and on speed prior to receiving landing clearance.

Approach

Air Facts

DECEMBER 30, 2024

This came after a week of weather delay with some of the thickest fog I had ever seen blanketed Vancouver Island. I checked THE weather and made plans for the next leg. After conversing with the weather briefer, I was confident that the weather would be clear at my planned destination of that leg in Winnemucca, Nevada.

Weather

Pilot Institute

APRIL 24, 2024

From entry and weather requirements to interacting with ATC, we have you covered. 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.

Clearance

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

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 3, 2024

The weather must cooperate, the environment is new, and the budding pilot must learn nearly three-quarters of the knowledge they will use throughout their entire aviation career. 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.

Pilot

Flying Magazine

MAY 15, 2024

Scenario 3: VFR into IFR If you read the accident reports the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) compiles, you will notice a lot are attributed in part to the pilot’s decision to continue VFR into deteriorating weather. In the ATD the scenario begins by having the pilot check the weather before takeoff. What could go wrong?

Crosswind

Photographic Logbook

JULY 11, 2024

However, a forecast for low IFR weather in that part of Maine led us to cancel it. I had no interest in flying one hour north only to be shut out of our destination by weather below minimums for the available instrument approach procedure. Moments after climbing through the ceiling over Beverly, MA.

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

FEBRUARY 19, 2024

Perhaps those thoughts include dealing with inclement weather, or even icing conditions. Instrument flying certification and skills can be something that a pilot can use even on good VFR weather flying days. You can file and operate “IFR” even on good weather days. But this isn’t how it has to be. What can be bad about that?

Pilot

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. Thats a clearance, and changing runways requires permission. First off, conditions must be basically VFR.

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. Thats a clearance, and changing runways requires permission. First off, conditions must be basically VFR.

Approach

Photographic Logbook

FEBRUARY 4, 2024

While accidents might result from dangerous weather, poor fuel management, or hastily overlooked maintenance issues, an underlying root cause may be a pilot falling prey to these situations due to a laser focus on completing the mission in spite of circumstances that make flying unwise.

Ceiling

ABEAM

AUGUST 26, 2023

IFR clearance was direct to DEVBI while we knew we could pick up our oceanic clearance (my first ever !) So we continued towards Reykjavik in basically shitty weather at the very economic fuel setting of 47% power as calculated. So perfect weather. after DEVBI with Iceland Radio.

Weather

Photographic Logbook

APRIL 19, 2024

This year, a promising weather forecast featuring high freezing levels (expected to be 9,000+ feet) led to a decision to fly myself. The day before departure, satisfied that days of consistent weather forecasts reasonably assured a successful flight, I cancelled the rental car reservation. So that was of no help to me.

Approach

Gary's Flight Journal

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

I've been going through weather updates and long range forecasts for the last two weeks along with reviewing approaches and alternates for our flight. For now we are on hold until the weather opens up a bit to allow a safe departure and a better chance at returning if needed. The MOS weather shows rain ending by 8am, we shall see.

Clearance

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 2, 2024

No flying in winds exceeding 10 knots, no chance of obscuring precipitation, no use of runways shorter than 5,000 feet, no risk of encountering darkness or lowering ceilings. is a common question, when the wind, ceiling, visibility, turbulence, or even temperature are obviously not conducive to routine flying.

Wind Shear

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 2, 2024

No flying in winds exceeding 10 knots, no chance of obscuring precipitation, no use of runways shorter than 5,000 feet, no risk of encountering darkness or lowering ceilings. is a common question, when the wind, ceiling, visibility, turbulence, or even temperature are obviously not conducive to routine flying.

Wind Shear