VFR Corridors

Many Class B or C airport have special VFR routes charted to help us get around or through them. Sometimes, IFR is easier.

Jim Wolper

Sunday, May 26, 2024 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By: Omar Filipovic

The transition routes for the Portland International Airport (KPDX) are shown within the black-bordered rectangles in this chart excerpt. All three of them—Timbers, Blazers and Thorns, from left to right—provide an organized way to get from the top portion of the chart to the bottom, and vice versa, but do nothing for an east/west transition. Also, the Portland-Hillsboro Airport, at the south end of the Timbers Transition, has its own Class D and an entry in the Chart Supplement’s special notices section for “intensive flight training.” And if you’re planning to use the Pearson Field Airport (KVUO) across the river in Vancouver, Wash., it has its own special flight rules area, thanks to its proximity to KPDX.

Key Takeaways:

VFR flying through busy Class B/C airspace can be challenging and overwhelming without proper planning, as pilots must meticulously avoid airspace and traffic.
To simplify navigation and enhance safety in complex airspace, pilots should utilize charted VFR transition routes (flyways), which provide clear paths and facilitate coordination with ATC.
While VFR transitions are beneficial, filing IFR can sometimes be an easier alternative for navigating through busy Class B airspace; additionally, unique areas like the Washington D.C. SFRA have mandatory VFR training and stringent requirements.

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It seemed like an easy flight, ferrying a King Air B200 from Mesa, Ariz. (KIWA), to Scottsdale (KSDL), two airports near Phoenix (KPHX). It was a beautiful VFR day. I’ll fly VFR! With a little work I picked a route that went outside of, and then under, the Phoenix Class B airspace. There were some Class D areas to avoid, too. I programmed some waypoints, double-checked the altitudes, and, in the only good decision of the morning, decided to fly at a much slower airspeed than the airplane’s capabilities and the regulations allowed.

There were airplanes almost everywhere. The places with no airplanes were filled with helicopters, balloons and mountains. I did not have enough eyes. I needed to look outside for traffic. I needed to look at charts inside to make sure I avoided the airspace. I needed to look into my soul to try to understand how I could have made such a poor decision: I should have filed IFR.