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Radio Makes SVFR Possible
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Contents:
The Clearance; ...Weather
minimums; ... SVFR Clearance Standard
Format; ...SVFR clearances (Obtained
from CCR tower); ...Enter/out of/through;
...Overhead arrivals; ...Overhead
departures; ...Local operations;
...Departure callup; ...Arrival
Callup; ...Another Departure Call-up;
...Another Arrival Callup; …Still another SVFR Arrival; …SVFR Clearance Readback; …
Historical note: Since SVFR has essentially 'canned' arrival/departure procedures, for many years a pilot could obtain a "Card-a-Clearance" and a number. You just had to give your card number and direction you wanted to fly. Must have made things too easy. They stopped using it. You can make your own card-a-clearances on the back of your lapboard. Make one for departures and one for arrivals. The only things that ever change may be reporting points, direction and specific instructions.
A SVFR clearance effectively provides you with services in
a like manner to IFR aircraft, that is, one aircraft at a time
into the airspace unless one aircraft or the other takes on separation
responsibility. In order to grant you an SVFR, the controllers
must ascertain that your SVFR will not delay any IFR flights.
If you try it, you will probably discover just how long it takes
you to fly 5 NM (about 3 minutes in a Skyhawk). This distance
is the minimum IFR separation.
The SVFR clearance is a sequential communication from ATC that
gives specific limits and procedures for an arrival, departure,
or flight through Class C or D airspace. To obtain the proper
clearance, you must both know where you are and the direction
of entry, departure, or flight through the airspace. The pilot
must request the SVFR clearance. ATC is limited to asking, "What
are your intentions." The pilot is responsible in obtaining
and acknowledging full understanding of the clearance. Any deviation
in flying the clearance is a violation of the applicable FARs.
The SVFR clearance places responsibility for altitude, visibility,
and reporting conditions on the pilot.
Such a clearance has a certain sequence of information. 1. Type/full
number of aircraft 2. Is cleared out of/into Airport's Class D
airspace 3. Direction out/in 4. Maintain SVFR while in the Class
D airspace
5. At or below an altitude (500' below minimum radar vectoring
altitude.
6. Report clear/entering the Class D airspace or VFR
FAR 91.157 VISUAL FLIGHT RULES: Special VFR
(b) Special VFR operations may only be conducted -
(1) With an ATC clearance;
(2) Clear of clouds;
(3) Except for helicopters, when flight visibility is at least
1 statute mile; and
(4) Except for helicopters, between sunrise and sunset
(or in Alaska...) unless -
(i) The person being granted the ATC clearance meets the applicable
requirements for instrument light under Part 61 of this chapter;
and
(ii) The aircraft is equipped as required in 91.205(d)
Type/full number of aircraft
Is cleared out of/into the Class D surface area
Direction out/in
Maintain SVFR while in the Class D surface area
At or below an altitude (500' below radar vectoring altitude)
Report clear/entering the Class D surface area or VFR
Well, finally, it's your turn but instead of a clearance ATC has told you to do any one of a number of things. You may be told to remain clear of the airspace footprint in a direction or orientated to a specific place. You may be told to overfly the field and remain above a specific altitude while circling overhead and awaiting clearance. It is not unusual to have the best visibility vertically to the ground as opposed to slant range visibility.
Prior to issuing the clearance ATC may require you to acknowledge
visual contact with another aircraft either IFR or VFR. Additionally,
ATC may put a time restraint on your clearance such having you
give assurance that you will be able to be on the ground in two
minutes. From overhead your
clearance may read,
"Cessna 6185K is cleared into the Concord Class Delta
Airspace with reference to departing aircraft to
descend in right traffic for 32 R maintain SVFR
while in the Class Delta airspace report descending
through 1500 report right downwind"
Good radio communications do not have punctuation and should be written that way.
All the time you have been overhead you have been writing down
the 'givens' of the clearance while leaving space for 'surprises'.
Notice how much of SVFR clearances is "canned". Always
the same.
Now all you have to do is read it back as you have written it
down. Devise your own shorthand.
The other type of SVFR arrival is where you are told to hold outside the airspace footprint in a specific direction from the airport while you await your clearance. Assume that you have been told to remain clear to the southeast and to expect your clearance in five minutes or by a given time.
"Cessna 6185K is cleared into the Concord Class Delta
airspace from the southeast maintain SVFR at or below
1500 while in the Class Delta Airspace report entering
the Class Delta airspace report left downwind 19L"
Again you will see that much of it is "canned" as before. The only changes are the direction and runway. All other clearances will be much the same. You could even write the clearance down before you get into the plane. Just leave a couple of blanks for surprises. I used to have my SVFR clearances on my lapboard.
SVFR departures are even easier. You get your clearance from clearance delivery or ground control. You indicate the direction of departure. The clearance will be,
"Cessna 6185K is cleared out of the Concord Class Delta
airspace to the Northwest maintain SVFR at or below
1500 while in the Class Delta airspace report clear of
the Class Delta airspace for VFR which ever occurs
first"
Since you have written it down in "shorthand" already the readback is easy. Good preparation for IFR training.
The altitude mentioned in all SVFR clearances has to do with the altitude at which radar coverage exists. There is usually a 'letter of agreement' between the tower and approach that determines this altitude. The airport, airspace name, reporting requirements and staying SVFR are common to all SVFR clearances.
Visit a tower and make a copy of the SVFR form that they use. You'll see what I mean. The last word on SVFR is that it will not be an enjoyable experience if you do not know the area. You must know where you are at every moment during SVFR or you shouldn't be there. Do not do SVFR into an unfamiliar airport. Do fly your home area and learn the minimum safe altitudes for at least ten miles around. Get with an old instructor and have a new experience.
Interestingly, if you were to look through any number of flight training programs, you would be most unlikely to find SVFR as part of the program. All too many pilots encounter SVFR for the first time alone, inexperienced, and unaware.
When I am called to give a pilot a checkout in a new aircraft I generally try to hit him with, "Have you ever flow SVFR?" Most often they have never been in SVFR conditions and have no plans to get the experience. I do not fly in SVFR conditions, rain, or winds of 30 knots for fun. I do train my students and other pilots in those conditions, however. I do it because, at some point in our careers toward becoming old pilots we may face conditions not of our choosing.
Not too many years ago student pilots could ask for and get
SVFR clearances. Bad things happened just often enough so
now only pilots can get SVFR. Like IFR, SVFR increases the utility
of flying. On occasion, it is possible, safe, and legal to make
an airport arrival under SVFR when IFR flights cannot. My personal
feeling is that a pilot should be trained in the use
of SVFR, not to be used as challenge to weather conditions, but
rather, as a parachute through an unplanned condition.
SVFR at night is very near an emergency situation. That said here
is how to do day SVFR.
Cleared (to enter /out of/through) the Concord Delta surface
area (direction) of Concord airport, maintain SVFR conditions
at or below
1500 while in the Delta surface area.
Report:
a. Entering the Delta Surface area
b. Leaving the Delta surface area or reaching VFR conditions,
which ever occurs first.
Descend in SVFR conditions at or below 1500 in (right/left) traffic (runway) report leaving 1500.
Climb in SVFR conditions in (right/left) traffic (runway) until reaching VFR conditions. If not in VFR conditions by 1500, maintain SVFR conditions at or below 1500 and advise.
Local SVFR operations in the immediate vicinity of Concord
airport are authorized until (time). Maintain SVFR conditions
at or below 1500.
When arriving and making a SVFR clearance request, you may be
directed to report at a specific point where a clearance will
be issued.
Concord Ground Cessna 1234X base of tower with ALPHA request
SVFR eastbound ready to copy Clearance:
Cessna 1234X is cleared out of the Class Delta airspace to the
east. Maintain SVFR while in the Class Delta Airspace at or below
1500'. Report clear of the Class Delta footprint or VFR whichever
occurs first. Taxi to 1 right advise tower SVFR eastbound
Copy: _____ ____ C 1234X C^(D)> E SVFR in D 1500 rpt C/VFR
Readback: Clearance is read back verbatim. BE SURE TO REPORT CLEAR
OF CZ OR VFR ON DEPARTURE
Concord Tower Cessna 1234X Benicia at 900 with ALPHA request
SVFR ready to copy
Tower:
Cessna 1234X is cleared into the Class Delta airspace from the
North West. Maintain SVFR while in the Class Delta airspace at
or below 1500. Report entering the Class Delta airspace; report
left downwind 1 left.
Copy: _____ ____
C 1234X C>(D)> NW SVFR in (D) 1500 rpt > lft dnwd 1
Readback: Clearance is read back verbatim
Concord Ground Cessna 1234X base of tower with ALPHA request
SVFR eastbound ready to copy
Clearance:
Cessna 1234X is cleared out of the Class D surface area east.
Maintain SVFR while in the Class D surface area at or below 1500'.
Report clear of the Class D surface area or VFR whichever occurs
first. Taxi to 1 right advise tower SVFR eastbound
Copy: _____ ____
C 1234X CcDsa E MSVFR in cDsa 1500 rpt C/VFR
Readback:
Clearance is read back verbatim
BE SURE TO REPORT CLEAR OF CLASS D SURFACE AREA OR VFR ON DEPARTURE
Concord Tower Cessna 1234X Benicia at 900 with ALPHA (request
SVFR ready to copy
Clearance:
Cessna 1234X is cleared into the Class D surface area from the
northwest maintain SVFR while in the surface area at or below
1500 report entering the surface area; report left downwind 1
left.
Copy: _____ ____
C 1234X C> cDsa MSVFR in cD SA 1500 rpt > lft dnwd 1
Readback:
Clearance is read back verbatim
ALWAYS MAKE ANY REPORT REQUIRED AS PART OF THE CLEARANCE
Another
SVFR Arrival
Several months ago, I flew LVK. ASOS said, or I heard, no
clouds below 12000. Anyway, we launched from CCR where it was
clear. But LVK ATIS said the ceiling was 700' and vis 7 miles.
Hmmmm... maybe I "heard" what I wanted to hear on the
telephone ASOS before I left? Or the clouds just rolled in over
the Hayward hills. Nonetheless, I had decisions to make.
I flew to the 680/580 intersection. At this point I was over the clouds at 2400'. The cloud tops were at 1300' so I was legal. I asked to transition the Class D west to east "more or less following the highway," which I couldn't see. I could see the Altamont pass area so I could guess where the highway was. The fellow in the tower told me to report abeam the tower, a clever trick since he was under solid overcast.
There were patchy areas out northeast of the airport in the Los Positas College area and also over the towns of Pleasanton and Livermore. I chose the first because there were no houses underneath. At 7:45am on Sunday, I'm sure people didn't want to hear an airplane low overhead!
I called for and received my first SVFR clearance ever. A crying shame, you know, but there you have it--my first. I circled down between clouds and hills and then flew a fairly normal right base to 25R and landed. That's not the funny part.
While I was still positioning after receiving my clearance, a fellow in a Cessna called in from the Altamont area. "Cessna 12345 Altamont, uh, I'd like to land at Livermore." "345, Livermore is below basic VFR, remain clear of the Class D airspace and state your intentions."
"Uh, Cessna 345, I'm flying up toward the Byron area, and, uh, I'd like to land behind the lady in the Cherokee." "345, remain clear of the Class D and state your intentions."
"Cessna 345, I'd like a clearance like hers?" "345, remain clear of the class D airspace and state your intentions." (At this point, I'm cracking up with laughter.
"Uh... Cessna 345 here. Uh, I'd like... uh... a... uh...
special VFR into the Livermore airport?" "345, cleared
into the Livermore Class D, maintain... (etc)" The controller
heard the fellow's readback then gently reminded him that the
pilot had to request the
SVFR, and he'd been waiting for him to do so.
I suspect it was also that fellow's first SVFR, and I suspect he had a lot more hours than I did. The thin layer burned off in the next 30 minutes.
SVFR
clearance readback.
I have never been able to get a SVFR clearance approved until
I have read back all of its elements.
SVFR Clearances include:
--Aircraft identification
--Identification of the airspace
--Direction to leave/enter airspace footprint
--A required reporting point leaving or entering
--A runway assignment
--Instruction to maintain SVFR inside airspace
--An altitude restriction may include reporting VFR conditions.
Example: (arrival)
Cessna 561DE is cleared into the Concord Class Delta airspace
from the northeast. Report entering the Concord Class Delta airspace.
Maintain SVFR inside the Class Delta airspace at or below 1500
feet. (Readback is correct) Report 2-mile left base for 19R.
Example: (departure)
Cessna 561DE is cleared out of the Concord Class Delta airspace
to the Northeast. Maintain SVFR inside the Class Delta at or below
1500 feet. Report leaving Class Delta or VFR whichever occurs
first. (Readback is correct) cleared for takeoff 32R.
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Continued on Radio
Procedures for Concord