FAR 91.157 Special VFR lets VFR pilots enter controlled surface areas below standard minimums - but at night, fixed-wing pilots need an instrument rating.
PatternFAR 91.155 sets VFR cloud clearance and visibility requirements that shift with airspace class, altitude, and time of day - with the logic behind each.
PatternSpecial VFR lets pilots depart in below-minimums conditions with just one mile visibility, but a night provision requiring an instrument rating catches VFR pilots every year.
PatternClass Echo airspace serves three distinct configurations with different floors - understanding each one is essential for reading sectional charts and flying legally.
PatternClass Golf is the uncontrolled airspace beneath the national airspace system, with daytime VFR minimums as low as 1 mile visibility - minimums that jump sharply after dark.
PatternClass E airspace has four different floors depending on location - and missing them on your sectional can put you out of compliance without realizing it.
PatternRadio Hangar explores The Fuzzy Magenta and the Dashed Magenta, Class E Floors, and Why the Airspace You Think Is Uncontrolled Starts Lower Than You Think.
PatternSpecial VFR lets pilots legally operate in below-minimum weather with just 1 mile visibility - but night restrictions and NO SVFR airports catch many pilots off guard.
PatternLearn to decode every group in a METAR report - from report type to remarks - and understand what each element means for your go or no-go decision.
PatternDecode every element of a METAR - from wind and ceiling to dewpoint spread - to make smarter go/no-go decisions before every flight.
PatternLearn to decode every element of a METAR report, from wind and visibility to clouds and remarks, with a real-world example.
Pattern