pointSixtyFive

VISUAL SEPARATION

Pilot/Controller Glossary with JO 7110.65BB, Change 3, effective July 9, 2026 · Official text on faa.gov

A means employed by ATC to separate aircraft in terminal areas and en route airspace in the NAS. There are two ways to effect this separation:

  1. The tower controller sees the aircraft involved and issues instructions, as necessary, to ensure that the aircraft avoid each other.
  2. A pilot sees the other aircraft involved and upon instructions from the controller provides his/her own separation by maneuvering his/her aircraft as necessary to avoid it. This may involve following another aircraft or keeping it in sight until it is no longer a factor.

See SEE AND AVOID.

Refer to 14 CFR part 91.

In the 7110.65

Used in 22 paragraphs of JO 7110.65BB.

  1. 2-1-19Wake Turbulence
  2. 2-1-20Wake Turbulence Cautionary Advisories
  3. 3-1-9Use of Tower Radar Displays
  4. 3-8-3Simultaneous Same Direction Operation
  5. 3-9-6Same Runway Separation
  6. 3-9-7Wake Turbulence Separation for Intersection Departures
  7. 3-10-3Same Runway Separation
  8. 3-10-4Intersecting Runway/Intersecting Flight Path Operations
  9. 5-8-5Departures and Arrivals on Parallel or Nonintersecting Diverging Runways
  10. 5-9-5Approach Separation Responsibility
  11. 5-9-7Simultaneous Independent Approaches- Dual & Triple
  12. 5-9-9Simultaneous Offset Instrument Approaches (SOIA)
  13. 7-1-1Class a Airspace Restrictions
  14. 7-2-1Visual Separation
  15. 7-4-1Visual Approach
  16. 7-4-3Clearance for Visual Approach
  17. 7-4-4Approaches to Multiple Runways
  18. 7-5-3Separation
  19. 7-5-5Local Operations
  20. 7-7-3Separation
  21. 7-8-3Separation
  22. 7-9-4Separation