ATPL 010 TRAINING

Air Law
Week-4b: Air Traffic Control Services
VMC/IMC

Cengiz Mesut BÜKEÇ

PhD in Civil Aviation Management
 VMC visibility & distance from cloud minima
Visual meteorological conditions (VMC)
• Meteorological conditions expressed in terms of
• visibility,
• distance from cloud,
• ceiling,
equal to or better than specified minima.
VMC visibility &
distance from cloud minima
 VMC visibility & distance from cloud minima
Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC)
• VFR is possible only when VMC takes place.
• Additionally, pilot must be able to see the ground.

• VFR is applied between sunset and sundown

• VFR is applied below FL200
 VMC visibility &
distance from cloud minima
Visual Flight Rules (VFR) speed limits

• Must not fly → 250 KTS below FL100

• ATC decides → Above FL100

 VMC visibility &
distance from cloud minima
Visual Flight Rules (VFR) minimum heights and low flying
• An aircraft is not permitted to fly
• Over a congested area below 1000 feet above the highest fixed obstacle
• Within 600 meters of the aircraft except as necessary to Take Off or Landing
 VMC visibility &
distance from cloud minima
Visual Flight Rules (VFR) minimum heights and low flying
• An aircraft is not permitted to fly
• At a height less than 500 feet above the ground/water
except for the purpose of Take Off or Landing
 VMC visibility &
distance from cloud minima
Changing from Visual Flight Rules (VFR) to Instrument Flight Rules (IFR)

• If flight plan is submitted → communicate the necessary changes

to his current flight plan

• Submit a flight plan to ATC→ obtain a clearance prior to proceeding

when required iaw IFR when in controlled airspace
 VMC visibility &
distance from cloud minima
Visual Flight Rules (VFR) must comply with clearance requirements when
• Operated in Call B,C,D
• Forming a part of aerodrome traffic at controlled aerodromes
• Operated as SVFR ***coming soon ☺
 Special Visual Flight Rules (SVFR)
SVFR is
• a tool for non-instrument rated pilots
to continue operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR)
in Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC)

Said another way,

• special VFR allows you to fly
using the more relaxed minimum visibility requirements
in more restrictive airspace
 Special Visual Flight Rules (SVFR)
SVFR is
• A VFR is cleared by ATCU only
• Operates within a Control Zone (CTR)
• Operates during the hours of daylight
• Possible in meteorological conditions
below VMC
 Special Visual Flight Rules (SVFR)
SVFR
• is a sub category of VFR flight.
• Permission to operate under Special VFR within a Control Zone,
in meteorological conditions not meeting VMC minima,
is given to a flight by means of an Air Traffic Control clearance.
 Special Visual Flight Rules (SVFR)
SVFR
• is not a right of a pilot, he/she requests only
• request must be
• before Take Off
• (in flight) 10 min before entering CTR
• ATCU decides for SVFR only if air traffic conditions allow
 Special Visual Flight Rules (SVFR)

SVFR flying pilot

• obeys all instructions by ATCU
• is allowed only within a CTR (Control Zone)
• two-ways radio communications is
mandatory
 Communication Failure when in VMC
• Continue to fly VMC
• Transponder → squawk 7600, Mode «C»
• Land at nearest airport
• Report to appropriate ATCO
 IMC (Instrument Meteorological Conditions)
Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC)
• Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) are
meteorological conditions
expressed in terms of
• visibility,
• distance from cloud, and
• ceiling,
less than the minima specified for visual meteorological conditions (VMC).
 IMC (Instrument Meteorological Conditions)
Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC)
• The aircraft must have dual controls
• The pilot must be qualified.
 REMEMBER: VMC minima
• When above 3,000ft or 1,000ft above terrain, whichever is higher:
• 1500m horizontally and 1,000 ft vertically from cloud;
• Flight visibility 5km below 10,000ft and 8km above 10,000ft.
• When below 3,000ft or 1,000ft above terrain, whichever is higher:
• Clear of cloud and in sight of the surface;
• Flight visibility 5km.

• Below FL200
• Between sunset and sundown
 IFR (Instrument Flight Rules)
• IFR is the set of rules
that govern aircraft
flying in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC)

• In general terms, instrument flying means flying in the clouds.

• More specifically, IMC is defined as weather that is

“below the minimums prescribed for flight under Visual Flight Rules.”
 IFR (Instrument Flight Rules)
• Instrument flight rules (IFR) are a set of regulations
under which
a pilot operates under conditions
in which flight by outside visual reference is not safe,
or
flight by reference to instruments in the flight deck
and navigation is accomplished by reference to electronic signals.
 IFR (Instrument Flight Rules)
• Flying by instruments, without any outside references sounds dangerous,
but it’s very safe once you’ve received the proper training.
• Training includes
• learning how to use navigational aids like VORs, ADF and GPS
• how to fly approaches using an ILS / MLS
• a comprehensive study of weather systems and reports, icing conditions, and
how the human body responds to spatial disorientation.
 IFR (Instrument Flight Rules)
The instrument panel of an IFR aircraft can be broken down into three
basic sections
• basic six instruments
• navigation instruments
• engine instrumentation
 IFR (Instrument Flight Rules)
basic six

• an airspeed indicator
• an artificial horizon
• an altitude indicator
• turn and slip indicator
• directional gyro/horizontal situation indicator
• rate of climb/descent indicator
 IFR (Instrument Flight Rules)
navigation instruments located on the ground & set onboard
• VOR
VHF omnidirectional radio range [VOR] beacon
• NDB
non-directional beacons
• ADF
Automatic Direction Finding
• DME
Distance Measuring Equipment
 IFR (Instrument Flight Rules)
navigation instruments on the ground
• VOR
VHF omnidirectional radio range [VOR] beacon
is an aircraft navigation system operating in the VHF band.
VORs broadcast a VHF radio composite signal including the station's Morse Code
identifier (and sometimes a voice identifier), and data that allows the airborne
receiving equipment to derive the magnetic bearing from the station to the aircraft.
This line of position is called the "radial".
 IFR (Instrument Flight Rules)
navigation instruments on the ground
• VOR
VHF omnidirectional radio range [VOR] beacon
The VOR radial may be combined with magnetic
heading from the aircraft compass to provide a bearing
relative to the aircraft axis, which can be used to home
to the beacon.
 IFR (Instrument Flight Rules)
navigation instruments on the ground
• VOR
VHF omnidirectional radio range [VOR] beacon
VOR beacons are frequently used as way-points
on conventional Airway systems, or as the basis for a
Non-Precision Approach.
 IFR (Instrument Flight Rules)
navigation instruments on the ground
• NDB
non-directional beacons
is a radio beacon operating in the MF or LF band-widths.
NDBs transmit a signal of equal strength in all directions.
The signal contains a coded element which is used for station identification
(normally 1-3 letters in Morse Code).
 IFR (Instrument Flight Rules)
navigation instruments onboard
• ADF
Automatic Direction Finding
is an electronic aid to navigation that identifies the
relative bearing of an aircraft from a radio beacon
transmitting in the MF or LF bandwidth, such as an
Non-Directional Beacon or commercial radio
broadcast station.
 IFR (Instrument Flight Rules)
navigation instruments on the ground
• NDB
non-directional beacons
NDB is used in conjunction with
ADF in the cockpit.
 IFR (Instrument Flight Rules)
navigation instruments on the ground
• NDB
non-directional beacons
 IFR (Instrument Flight Rules)
navigation instruments on the ground
• DME
Distance Measuring Equipment
is defined as a navigation beacon, usually coupled with a
VOR beacon, to enable aircraft to measure their position
relative to that beacon.
Aircraft send out a signal which is sent back after a fixed
delay by the DME ground equipment.
An aircraft can compute its distance to the beacon from the
delay of the signal perceived by the aircraft's DME equipment
using the speed of light.
 IFR (Instrument Flight Rules)
navigation instruments on the ground
• DME
Distance Measuring Equipment
is defined as a combination of ground and airborne
equipment which gives a continuous slant range distance-from-
station readout by measuring time-lapse of a signal transmitted
by the aircraft to the station and responded back.
DMEs can also provide groundspeed and time-to-station
readouts by differentiation.
 IFR (Instrument Flight Rules)
navigation instruments - onboard
• CDI (Course Deviation Indicator)
which using signals from a VHF omnidirectional radio range [VOR] beacon
or
instrument landing system [ILS] equipment
• ADF (Automatic Direction Finder)
which navigates using non-directional beacons [NDB]
 IFR (Instrument Flight Rules)
basic six

• an airspeed indicator
• an artificial horizon
• an altitude indicator
• turn and slip indicator
• directional gyro/horizontal situation indicator
• rate of climb/descent indicator
 IFR (Instrument Flight Rules)
engine instruments
 IFR (Instrument Flight Rules)
In controlled airspace
IFR flight shall follow the rules or instructions listed below:
• air traffic control clearance respect
• adherence to the flight plan
• position reports when needed
• two way communication as necessary with the appropriate ATCU
 IFR (Instrument Flight Rules)
Inside air traffic controlled areas:
• an air traffic control clearance shall be obtained
prior to
operating a controlled flight
or a portion of a flight
as a controlled flight when operating in a controlled airspace.
 IFR (Instrument Flight Rules)
Outside air traffic controlled areas:
• IFR flight shall maintain
an air-ground voice communication
watch on the appropriate communication channel
and establish two-way communication,
as necessary, with the ATS (air traffic services) unit
providing FIS (flight information service) in this area
 IFR (Instrument Flight Rules)
minimal altitude
all IFR flight shall be flown
except for take-off, landing or except by permission from the appropriate authority
• at a level which is not below the minimum flight altitude established by the local regulations
(published on charts)

• at a level which is a least 600m (2000ft) above the highest obstacle located within 8km of the estimated
position of the aircraft,
in mountainous areas, when no minimum flight altitude has been established

• at a level which is a least 300m (1000ft) above the highest obstacle located within 8km of the estimated
position of the aircraft,
elsewhere than the two first items, when no minimum flight altitude has been established
Final words
I wish you all become very good pilots !

• Do not hesitate to contact with me anytime you need assistance

via:
cengizmesutbukec@gmail.com