VFR weather minimums and cloud clearances
The visibility and distance-from-cloud requirements for VFR flight, by airspace class and altitude.
VFR weather minimums specify how much visibility you need and how far you must stay from clouds, so that you can see and avoid other traffic and terrain. They vary by airspace class and altitude. The shorthand most pilots memorize is "3-152" and "1-512", but the full picture is:
- Class B: 3 SM visibility, clear of clouds (ATC separates you).
- Class C and D: 3 SM, and 500 ft below, 1,000 ft above, 2,000 ft horizontal from clouds.
- Class E below 10,000 ft MSL: 3 SM, 500/1,000/2,000.
- Class E and G at or above 10,000 ft MSL: 5 SM, 1,000 below, 1,000 above, 1 SM horizontal — bigger margins because true airspeeds and closing speeds are higher up high.
- Class G at or below 1,200 ft AGL, day: 1 SM and clear of clouds; at night, 3 SM and 500/1,000/2,000 (with a narrow traffic-pattern exception).
Why the cloud-clearance distances? They give you and an aircraft emerging from a cloud enough time to see each other and react. The horizontal 2,000-ft (or 1-mile) figure matters when flying alongside a build-up.
Remember the rule is a legal floor, not a recommendation. Scud-running at 1 mile and clear of clouds is legal in Class G but kills pilots every year. Set personal minimums well above these numbers.
*Reference and training only. Consult the FAA AIM and current regulations.*