704 

14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–24 Edition) 

§ 91.155 

(b) 

Cancellation.  When a flight plan 

has been activated, the pilot in com-
mand, upon canceling or completing 
the flight under the flight plan, shall 
notify an FAA Flight Service Station 
or ATC facility. 

§ 91.155

Basic VFR weather minimums. 

(a) Except as provided in paragraph 

(b) of this section and § 91.157, no per-
son may operate an aircraft under VFR 
when the flight visibility is less, or at 
a distance from clouds that is less, 
than that prescribed for the cor-
responding altitude and class of air-
space in the following table: 

Airspace Flight 

visibility 

Distance from 

clouds 

Class A ....................

Not Applicable ....

Not Applicable. 

Class B ....................

3 statute miles ....

Clear of Clouds. 

Class C ....................

3 statute miles ....

500 feet below. 

.............................

1,000 feet above. 

.............................

2,000 feet hori-

zontal. 

Class D ....................

3 statute miles ....

500 feet below. 

.............................

1,000 feet above. 

.............................

2,000 feet hori-

zontal. 

Class E: 

Less than 

10,000 feet 
MSL.

3 statute miles ....

500 feet below. 

.............................

1,000 feet above. 

.............................

2,000 feet hori-

zontal. 

At or above 

10,000 feet 
MSL.

5 statute miles ....

1,000 feet below. 

.............................

1,000 feet above. 

.............................

1 statute mile hor-

izontal. 

Class G: 

1,200 feet or 

less above 
the surface 
(regardless of 
MSL altitude) 

For aircraft other 

than helicopters: 

Day, except as 

provided in 
§ 91.155(b).

1 statute mile ......

Clear of clouds. 

Night, except as 

provided in 
§ 91.155(b).

3 statute miles ....

500 feet below. 

.............................

1,000 feet above. 

.............................

2,000 feet hori-

zontal. 

For helicopters: 

Day ...................

1

⁄

2

statute mile ....

Clear of clouds 

Night, except as 

provided in 
§ 91.155(b).

1 statute mile ......

Clear of clouds. 

More than 1,200 

feet above the 
surface but 
less than 
10,000 feet 
MSL 

Day ............

1 statute mile ......

500 feet below. 

Airspace Flight 

visibility 

Distance from 

clouds 

.............................

1,000 feet above. 

.............................

2,000 feet hori-

zontal. 

Night ..........

3 statute miles ....

500 feet below. 

.............................

1,000 feet above. 

.............................

2,000 feet hori-

zontal. 

More than 1,200 

feet above the 
surface and at 
or above 
10,000 feet 
MSL.

5 statute miles ....

1,000 feet below. 

.............................

1,000 feet above. 

.............................

1 statute mile hor-

izontal. 

(b) 

Class G Airspace. Notwithstanding 

the provisions of paragraph (a) of this 
section, the following operations may 
be conducted in Class G airspace below 
1,200 feet above the surface: 

(1) 

Helicopter. A helicopter may be op-

erated clear of clouds in an airport 
traffic pattern within 

1

⁄

2

mile of the 

runway or helipad of intended landing 
if the flight visibility is not less than 

1

⁄

2

statute mile. 

(2) 

Airplane, powered parachute, or 

weight-shift-control aircraft. If the visi-
bility is less than 3 statute miles but 
not less than 1 statute mile during 
night hours and you are operating in 
an airport traffic pattern within 

1

⁄

2

 

mile of the runway, you may operate 
an airplane, powered parachute, or 
weight-shift-control aircraft clear of 
clouds. 

(c) Except as provided in § 91.157, no 

person may operate an aircraft beneath 
the ceiling under VFR within the lat-
eral boundaries of controlled airspace 
designated to the surface for an airport 
when the ceiling is less than 1,000 feet. 

(d) Except as provided in § 91.157 of 

this part, no person may take off or 
land an aircraft, or enter the traffic 
pattern of an airport, under VFR, with-
in the lateral boundaries of the surface 
areas of Class B, Class C, Class D, or 
Class E airspace designated for an air-
port— 

(1) Unless ground visibility at that 

airport is at least 3 statute miles; or 

(2) If ground visibility is not reported 

at that airport, unless flight visibility 
during landing or takeoff, or while op-
erating in the traffic pattern is at least 
3 statute miles. 

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705 

Federal Aviation Administration, DOT 

§ 91.161 

(e) For the purpose of this section, an 

aircraft operating at the base altitude 
of a Class E airspace area is considered 
to be within the airspace directly 
below that area. 

[Doc. No. 24458, 56 FR 65660, Dec. 17, 1991, as 
amended by Amdt. 91–235, 58 FR 51968, Oct. 5, 
1993; Amdt. 91–282, 69 FR 44880, July 27, 2004; 
Amdt. 91–330, 79 FR 9972, Feb. 21, 2014; Amdt. 
91–330A, 79 FR 41125, July 15, 2014] 

§ 91.157

Special VFR weather mini-

mums. 

(a) Except as provided in appendix D, 

section 3, of this part, special VFR op-
erations may be conducted under the 
weather minimums and requirements 
of this section, instead of those con-
tained in § 91.155, below 10,000 feet MSL 
within the airspace contained by the 
upward extension of the lateral bound-
aries of the controlled airspace des-
ignated to the surface for an airport. 

(b) Special VFR operations may only 

be conducted— 

(1) With an ATC clearance; 
(2) Clear of clouds; 
(3) Except for helicopters, when flight 

visibility is at least 1 statute mile; and 

(4) Except for helicopters, between 

sunrise and sunset (or in Alaska, when 
the sun is 6 degrees or less below the 
horizon) unless— 

(i) The person being granted the ATC 

clearance meets the applicable require-
ments for instrument flight under part 
61 of this chapter; and 

(ii) The aircraft is equipped as re-

quired in § 91.205(d). 

(c) No person may take off or land an 

aircraft (other than a helicopter) under 
special VFR— 

(1) Unless ground visibility is at least 

1 statute mile; or 

(2) If ground visibility is not re-

ported, unless flight visibility is at 
least 1 statute mile. For the purposes 
of this paragraph, the term flight visi-
bility includes the visibility from the 
cockpit of an aircraft in takeoff posi-
tion if: 

(i) The flight is conducted under this 

part 91; and 

(ii) The airport at which the aircraft 

is located is a satellite airport that 
does not have weather reporting capa-
bilities. 

(d) The determination of visibility by 

a pilot in accordance with paragraph 

(c)(2) of this section is not an official 
weather report or an official ground 
visibility report. 

[Amdt. 91–235, 58 FR 51968, Oct. 5, 1993, as 
amended by Amdt. 91–247, 60 FR 66874, Dec. 
27, 1995; Amdt. 91–262, 65 FR 16116, Mar. 24, 
2000; Docket No. FAA–2022–1355, Amdt. No. 
91–366, 87 FR 75846, Dec. 9, 2022] 

§ 91.159

VFR cruising altitude or flight 

level. 

Except while holding in a holding 

pattern of 2 minutes or less, or while 
turning, each person operating an air-
craft under VFR in level cruising flight 
more than 3,000 feet above the surface 
shall maintain the appropriate altitude 
or flight level prescribed below, unless 
otherwise authorized by ATC: 

(a) When operating below 18,000 feet 

MSL and— 

(1) On a magnetic course of zero de-

grees through 179 degrees, any odd 
thousand foot MSL altitude + 500 feet 
(such as 3,500, 5,500, or 7,500); or 

(2) On a magnetic course of 180 de-

grees through 359 degrees, any even 
thousand foot MSL altitude + 500 feet 
(such as 4,500, 6,500, or 8,500). 

(b) When operating above 18,000 feet 

MSL, maintain the altitude or flight 
level assigned by ATC. 

[Doc. No. 18334, 54 FR 34294, Aug. 18, 1989, as 
amended by Amdt. 91–276, 68 FR 61321, Oct. 
27, 2003; 68 FR 70133, Dec. 17, 2003] 

§ 91.161

Special awareness training re-

quired for pilots flying under visual 
flight rules within a 60-nautical 
mile radius of the Washington, DC 
VOR/DME. 

(a) 

Operations within a 60-nautical mile 

radius of the Washington, DC VOR/DME 
under visual flight rules (VFR). Except 
as provided under paragraph (e) of this 
section, no person may serve as a pilot 
in command or as second in command 
of an aircraft while flying within a 60- 
nautical mile radius of the DCA VOR/ 
DME, under VFR, unless that pilot has 
completed Special Awareness Training 
and holds a certificate of training com-
pletion. 

(b) 

Special Awareness Training. The 

Special Awareness Training consists of 
information to educate pilots about the 
procedures for flying in the Wash-
ington, DC area and, more generally, in 
other types of special use airspace. 

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