How do you fly VFR?

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Good morning everyone,

I’m slowly starting to fly VFR but I still have some questions. I started using Skyvector, Swiss VFR maps, French oaci and others… but sometimes I get stuck.

For example, I don’t know how to depart / approach an airport without a VAC or an equivalent.

Do you show waypoints on your virtual map or you go full visual?

Which altitude should I fly? Am I free? What are the limitations beside clouds and airspaces?

Thanks for your help

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Flying VFR is extremely easy, VFR = Visual Flight Rules
Don’t fly in crappy weather or in clouds.

When I fly VFR I don’t use wave points unless I’m doing a very long XC. I took a 172 from Alaska, to Canada and went through the Northern part of the US. At that point I went airport to airport and used auto pilot and follow the route.
With the Super D i did a ton of back country flying and had fun!
For VFR stuff gotta stay below 18,000ft (in the US at least) anything above that you have to be on an instrument flight plan.

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Just Fly to your hearts desire! Just follow nothing and have fun! ;)

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Alright thank you, I’ll try not to catch stars with my c172

@Matt_Croatia001

If I did that I’d end up lost haha 😂
The word is too beautiful sadly

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Seems legit since eyes are always outside

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Rules for VFR are, 80% flying by outside perception, 20% instruments.

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Adding onto this, try using landmarks to navigate. This is harder in IF, but is realistic.

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Take a look on this:

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Flying VFR is basically just flying without a flight plan filed and flying wherever you want…

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This will be so much fun with the xcub. I’ll be doing VFR always in Alaska

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Or basically just eyeballing it.

Visual flight rules ( VFR ) are a set of regulations under which a pilot operates an aircraft in weather conditions generally clear enough to allow the pilot to see where the aircraft is going. Specifically, the weather must be better than basic VFR weather minima, i.e. in visual meteorological conditions (VMC), as specified in the rules of the relevant aviation authority. The pilot must be able to operate the aircraft with visual reference to the ground, and by visually avoiding obstructions and other aircraft.[1]
If the weather is less than VMC, pilots are required to use instrument flight rules, and operation of the aircraft will primarily be through referencing the instruments rather than visual reference. In a control zone, a VFR flight may obtain a clearance from air traffic control to operate as Special VFR.[2]

From Wikipedia

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That’s not exactly true, there are a lot of restricted airspace here in Switzerland for example.

Thanks a lot for helping 👍

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Restricted airspaces all over, but they should be on any VFR chart.

Also, one thing I don’t see mentioned regarding altitudes: you add 500 feet to IFR altitudes. So, if for example you’re on an easterly cruise, you might fly at 11500 ft rather than 11k. (Or 13500, 9500, etc). Westward at 10500, 6500, 12500, etc.

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Also, check this tutorials, are really helpful:
(Mark Denton)

(Tyler Shelton)

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Check this out!

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Oh my bad, I forgot about that…

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Thanks @Tim_B
That was one of my concerns

@anon45851224
Thanks I will check that today

@tomthetank
I can’t believe I missed that… Thank you

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