VFR Flight Rules, Right-of-Way, Minimum Altitudes, and Cruising Altitudes
This domain is where the exam checks numbers you must know cold: weather minima, who gives way to whom, how low you may fly, and which altitudes are correct for a given track. Questions are usually a short scenario with a track, an altitude and a cloud layer.
VFR weather minima
- Controlled airspace (Class B, C, D and control zones): 3 statute miles visibility, 500 ft below cloud, 1,000 ft above cloud, and 2,000 ft horizontally from cloud.
- Class G below 1,000 ft AGL: 2 SM visibility by day, 3 SM at night, and clear of cloud.
- Class G at or above 1,000 ft AGL: 1 SM by day, 3 SM at night, clear of cloud.
Right of way (CAR 602.19)
- Converging aircraft at the same altitude: the aircraft on the right has right of way.
- Head-on: both aircraft alter course to the right.
- Overtaking: the aircraft being overtaken has right of way; pass on the right and keep clear.
- Landing: the lower aircraft has right of way, but may not cut in front of an aircraft on final approach.
- Give way to less manoeuvrable traffic such as balloons, gliders and airships.
Minimum altitudes (CAR 602.14)
- Built-up areas or assemblies of people: 1,000 ft above the highest obstacle within a 2,000 ft horizontal radius.
- Elsewhere: at least 500 ft from any person, vessel, vehicle or structure, and no lower than 500 ft AGL.
Cruising altitudes (CAR 602.34)
- At or above 3,000 ft AGL: magnetic track 0 to 179 degrees uses odd thousands plus 500 (3,500; 5,500; 7,500). Track 180 to 359 degrees uses even thousands plus 500 (4,500; 6,500).
Worked example
Your magnetic track is 275 degrees and you plan to cruise at 6,500 ft. Is that a legal VFR cruising altitude? Track 275 falls in the 180 to 359 band, so the correct levels are even thousands plus 500: 4,500, 6,500, 8,500. 6,500 ft is correct, but only if you are at or above 3,000 ft AGL. Below 3,000 ft AGL the cruising altitude rule does not apply.
Traps that cost marks
- Mixing up AGL and ASL, and applying cruising altitudes below 3,000 ft AGL.
- Quoting the built-up-area rule without the 2,000 ft radius.
- Treating right of way as permission to press on into a conflict.