Probably showing my age here - is this still a procedure?  "Cleared into the ....... control zone, maintain special VFR (clear of clouds at least 1 mile vis) at or below ...... report arrival".

 

 

In the UK, the rules did change on this at the start of this year, that I do know. Being a member of the EU (at the time), the UK's CAA became subject to the Standardised European Rules of the Air (SERA) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) rules on this which were broadly similar (1,000 feet clear of clouds). However...

Prior to this, the CAA had repeatedly applied for exemptions to the European Commission's rules on this, and were granted these, but from earlier this year (March), they were told that they would no longer be able to do this and would have to comply. Having said that, part of that was because the EU was getting snotty with the UK over Brexit, but since it's an ICAO rule too, that means leaving the EU is not a get out clause for the CAA and we've got to comply too although the CAA has said that it will be monitoring the amount of Special VFR exemption requests it gets and if there are a lot, and a lot of refusals which might affect safety, they will look into being exempt like they had been, or at least possibly arguing for it.

There is a case for this too (Cue Al's personal crusade rant): Not everything the EU has mandated is a good idea with regard to flying. One thing they did manage to pass, which I strongly opposed at the time and still do - at the time writing numerous letters to various places - was the JAR PPL training changes which shifted the emphasis from stall and spin recovery on the syllabus, to stall and spin avoidance. Which I thought would lead to deaths, and said so, and it has subsequently proved to be the case unfortunately (listen to the transcript of the CVR from the AF447 A330 accident for proof of this). They should teach both.

More info on special VFR changes is in this document. The actual full document with all the rules is SERA.5001, but unless you're really flying and want to know everything, the Jersey Aero Club guide I linked to is the gist of it and less of a PITA to read and has nice pictures too. The ICAO and other aviation organisations really ought to be aware that it is more likely someone will read important safety stuff if it has pictures and sub headers and paragraphs to break it up, instead of an offputting block of 1,500 words on every goddam page, but what do I know? I'm only a designer and writer 🤣.

No idea what the US rules are on this, but I would think that SERA.5001, being similar to the ICAO rules, is probably a reasonably good guide to how it is in the States, although I don't know that for sure.

Edited August 13, 20205 yr by Chock

Really nice range of contrasts.

John

Yep it's still a thing here in the US.  I did it last month with a lower OVC layer.

Great perspective on your shot of the Porter!