Question about VFR Flying

Real World Aviation
1

  1. VFR flying has cloud rules, how do they know how far they are from clouds?

  2. If I was to do a city tour, how would a file a FPL, if there isn’t the fixes I need for the FPL. Would I use coordinates?

2

  1. You know visually.

  2. VFR is Visual Flight Referance. You dont file a flight plan when flying VFR. When flying VFR, all other aircraft have right of way. Therefore, if your on an collision course with an aircraft with a FPL, you have to adjust and move out of his/her way.

7 Likes
3
  1. Estimate (just avoid them, make good choices when flying near clouds.)
  2. No flight plan necessary, however, if you did file one, you could write “City Tour” in the “remarks” section.

Edit: #2 is RWA, in IF no FPL is needed.

3 Likes
4

Your #1 is correct your #2 is way off. VFR aircraft do file flight plans. Just because you are VFR doesn’t mean everyone else in the sky has right of way over you. If you are on a colission course with another aircraft, both of you deviate.

7 Likes
5

I thought so cause on Vatsim there’s a VFR option for FPL filing so I’ll file it and leave Route empty?

6

As @Ksisky said you could file and put city tour in the description, the route would just be departure airport to arrival airport. For something like this you wouldn’t file though.

2 Likes
7

#1 *Visual Flight Rules

#2 What Brandon said. VFR do file flight plans in controlled airspaces, just like the rest. How, when and if you do it varies from around the world, but there aren’t many places you can fly without letting anybody know what you want to do and where you wanna do it if you aren’t flying special ops.

2 Likes
8

  1. You approximate. If you can’t see the ground, YOU ARE IN TROUBLE! Get out of there now!

  2. In RWA, in the U.S, you would call up FSS and tell them where you will be flying and they will do the rest. (Ex. "I will be leaving from KLGA and flying south in the Hudson Corridor. ect.) In VATSIM, you would write “City Tour” or “Scenic Flight” in the remarks. (Might be for RWA as well if you don’t call up FSS.)

In RWA, the controller does not know if an aircraft is on a VFR flight plan. You will have to tell them what is you final destination. A VFR is only for S&R ops if you were to go down. It is also optional, unlike a IFR flight.

Since someone said something about VATSIM, I will tell you what VFR plans in VATSIM are as well.
In VATSIM, a VFR flight plan is to help the controller know where you are going. It is like a IFR flight plan only with VFR cloud rules, kinda like in IF.

2 Likes
9

No, VFR on top also exists and is safe (no recommended to newly-licensed pilots though).

2 Likes
10

@SirPilotOfAviation… MaxSez: VFR’s File particularly if the flight traverses Controlled AirSpace.
Sport Pilots will argue this requirement since they never leave the pattern of there dirt field , don’t know what an FSS is or are just buffs and consider them selves Sky Kings. Keep the “See Be Seen Rule” in mind when your VFR which only applies in VMC. For a complete explanation to include cloud separation see. “Wiki, Visual Flight Rules”.
Wiki is your friend! + Forum Responses " Trust but Verify"!

1 Like
11

I meant when you are in the clouds.

12

Well if that happens to you. You better trust your instruments and not your body hehe.

1 Like
13

MaxSez: FAA is floating a rule chg now which requires all aircraft flying in US Airspace “Must File” IFR/VFR.

1 Like
14

Well VFR flying technically does have cloud clearances that you must be aware of.
Class A: IFR traffic only
Class B: Remain clear of clouds
Class C/D/E: 1000 feet vertical , 2000 horizontal and 500 below is what I’ve been taught.
Also, you don’t need a VFR flight plan. I usually just get flight following. And as long for a city tour I just ask Approach if they have time for it. If not I don’t bother with it

1 Like
15

Remember you cannot fly VFR in any planes bigger than the props, so no 737s or A380s allowed

16

VFR can be flown in anything. They just typically don’t since they are above FL180.

2 Likes
17

Not IRL as stated in FAR 121

18

FAR 121 what? There are a lot of regulations in part 121.

1 Like
19

Before I answer your two questions, I’d like to give you a notice that not all of the replies to your thread are correct. I find that frustrating as some just guess what they think is correct, WRONG. Be careful to accept information from people who may not be a real world pilot.

  1. Refer to this document for cloud clearance requirements for VFR flying:
    https://www.faasafety.gov/files/gslac/courses/content/25/185/vfr%20weather%20minimums.pdf

  2. No need for me to reiterate this. Brandon is correct.

May I suggest that if you are looking for information about real world flying, you are to do your own research on the web. This forum is one of the few places that I would go to get information about. Yes, there are a few handful real world pilots on here, myself included, but I think you’d get a more accurate answer doing the research yourself. With us just providing an answer, you will not fully understand the why. Take this from a pilots perspective. 🤔

4 Likes
20

What does this have to do with anything? 121 covers “Operating Requirements: Flag, Domestic and Supplemental Operations”. I don’t think you know what that means, no disrespect, but you need to be sure the FAR you are referencing is regarding the topic at hand. I’d like to see where the information you are talking about is found in here, because last I checked, it wasn’t. Maybe you should refer to Part 91, and respectfully refrain from providing false information. Thanks. 😉

5 Likes