Airspace, Visibility, and Cloud Clearance Matrix

J. Eric Ivancich

October 14, 1999

First I would like to thank all of those who responded to my original message posted in both rec.avaiation.piloting and rec.aviation.student.

As it turns out, I never did get to see the type of diagram I was after -- visibility and cloud separation by airspace -- by Rod Machado or anyone else. So I devised my own. I found it useful to understanding things. In fact, I passed the written yesterday!

Here's the diagram -- a matrix, actually -- I devised and used. Once I saw it, it took only a few minutes to commit to memory, and I could regenerate it whenever needed. I practiced writing it on a blank piece of paper a few times a day to prepare for the test. When I actually took the test, I didn't even have to draw it out -- I could visualize it. So I guess I'm a satisfied customer (your nautical mileage may vary).

I hope someone will find it useful. In case I am the first to use this form, I want to make it clear that anyone is free to redistribute it for noncommercial purposes.

Eric

                                        Visibility
Cloud Separation  #       1sm               3sm               5sm
==================+=====================================================+
                  # Class G, day    | Class B         |                 |
clear of clouds   #   <1200' AGL    |                 |                 |
                  # SVFR, day       |                 |                 |
                  +-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+
                  # Class G, day    | Classes C & D   |                 |
500' below,       #   >=1200' AGL   | Class E         |                 |
1000' above,      #   <10000' MSL   |   <10000' MSL   |                 |
2000' horizontal  #                 | Class G, night  |                 |
                  #                 |   <10000' MSL   |                 |
                  +-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+
1000' below,      #                 |                 | Classes E & G   |
1000' above,      #                 |                 |   >=10000' MSL  |
1sm horizontal    #                 |                 |                 |
                  +-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+