Air traffic control tower at night [Credit: Shutterstock]
Key Takeaways:
Special VFR (SVFR) allows private pilots without an instrument rating to operate into or out of an airport when conditions are below standard VFR minimums.
To use SVFR, ground visibility must be at least 1 sm, the pilot must be able to remain clear of clouds, and the pilot must initiate the request to the tower.
Operating SVFR at night requires the aircraft to be instrument-equipped and the pilot to possess an instrument rating and be current and proficient.
Some airports do not permit SVFR, with these exclusions detailed 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.
