Air traffic control tower at night [Credit: Shutterstock]
Key Takeaways:
Special VFR (SVFR) allows private pilots without an instrument rating to depart from or arrive at an airport in conditions below standard VFR minimums.
Daytime SVFR requires a minimum ground visibility of 1 statute mile, the pilot must remain clear of clouds, and it must be explicitly requested.
For night SVFR, an instrument-rated pilot and instrument-equipped aircraft are required, effectively negating the benefit for non-instrument rated pilots.
Some airports prohibit SVFR operations entirely, as listed in FAR 91, Appendix D, Section 3.
Question: I am a private pilot without an instrument rating. I learned about Special VFR (SVFR) in ground school, but I am wondering if anyone really uses it? Why not just go IFR?
Answer: Special VFR is a way for a person with a private pilot certificate but not an instrument rating to get into or out of an airport.
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Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
