Special VFR through Class C

rune

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Helicopter departs Class C airport VFR in marginal VFR. Lands at a landing area within the surface area. Few minutes later departs landing area to overfly same Class C surface area to another airport. Enroute the advertised weather changes to IMC. Does the helicopter need a SVFR to transition the Class C surface area when the airport is IMC?
 
That’s legal?
Whatever your career can stand. In that case, you’re simply taxiing the aircraft onto the runway, maybe for a ground resequence, a new EDCT, et cetera. Controllers used to do high speed taxis, hold short of RWY XX. Expect clearance prior to the intersection. Land and hold short with GA and Air Carriers. Actual pilot provided visual separation on departure. There’s a lot of things that have disappeared or are rarely (no longer) used.
 
Whatever your career can stand. In that case, you’re simply taxiing the aircraft onto the runway, maybe for a ground resequence, a new EDCT, et cetera. Controllers used to do high speed taxis, hold short of RWY XX. Expect clearance prior to the intersection. Land and hold short with GA and Air Carriers. Actual pilot provided visual separation on departure. There’s a lot of things that have disappeared or are rarely (no longer) used.
Departure/departure pilot applied visual separation i'm happy to say is alive and still used at many facilities. I've always heard of the 'taxi onto rwy xx and start a high speed taxi...', never actually seen it done though.
 
SVFR can be solicited/suggested. You just can’t do it without the pilot asking for it. Contact approach is the only thing you can’t solicit



Is someone gonna chime in and erroneously say that we can't solicit IFR cancellation? That's my favorite incorrect interpretation.

Back to the original question. Does the helicopter not need one solely because he is already airborne AND he's going to/from a satellite? If he was coming inbound to land at the primary, would he NEED to request SVFR?


I guess I should make my own thread, because I'm probably reading too deep into 7-5-1a4 reference that talks only about ground and flight visibility. It does not mention ceiling.
So if a field is BKN008 and 3SM, and an aircraft wants to take off, does the pilot have to request SVFR? I mean if he feels comfortable staying 500' away from clouds and flying at 300' bc ceiling is 800'....is that legal? Assuming they are not over a populated area for MSA rules.

Would approach or tower HAVE to say to an inbound "field is IFR, say intentions" and play the game of getting the pilot to say "request SFVR'? That's what I've always done, but now I'm getting lost in the weeds.

Because technically the only time "intentions" is mentioned in phraseology is under ground visibility being less than 1 mile for fixed wing and the correct phraseology is "ADVISE intentions". So potentially we're not even saying that correctly most of the time??? :eek:
 
AIM is maybe a little clearer

Special VFR Clearances
  1. An ATC clearance must be obtained priorto operating within a Class B, Class C, Class D, or Class E surface area when the weather is less than that required for VFR flight. A VFR pilot may request and be given a clearance to enter, leave, or operate within most Class D and Class E surface areas and some Class B and Class C surface areas in special VFR conditions, traffic permitting, and providing such flight will not delay IFR operations. All special VFR flights must remain clear of clouds. The visibility requirements for special VFR aircraft (other than helicopters) are:
    1. At least 1 statute mile flight visibility for operations within Class B, Class C, Class D, and Class E surface areas.
    2. At least 1 statute mile ground visibility if taking off or landing. If ground visibility is not reported at that airport, the flight visibility must be at least 1 statute mile.
    3. The restrictions in subparagraphs 1 and 2 do not apply to helicopters. Helicopters must remain clear of clouds and may operate in Class B, Class C, Class D, and Class E surface areas with less than 1 statute mile visibility.
  2. When a control tower is located within the Class B, Class C, or Class D surface area, requests for clearances should be to the tower. In a Class E surface area, a clearance may be obtained from the nearest tower, FSS, or center.
  3. It is not necessary to file a complete flight plan with the request for clearance, but pilots should state their intentions in sufficient detail to permit ATC to fit their flight into the traffic flow. The clearance will not contain a specific altitude as the pilot must remain clear of clouds. The controller may require the pilot to fly at or below a certain altitude due to other traffic, but the altitude specified will permit flight at or above the minimum safe altitude. In addition, at radar locations, flights may be vectored if necessary for control purposes or on pilot request.
    NOTE-
    The pilot is responsible for obstacle or terrain clearance.
    REFERENCE-
    14 CFR Section 91.119, Minimum safe altitudes: General.
  4. Special VFR clearances are effective within Class B, Class C, Class D, and Class E surface areas only. ATC does not provide separation after an aircraft leaves the Class B, Class C, Class D, or Class E surface area on a special VFR clearance.
  5. Special VFR operations by fixed-wing aircraft are prohibited in some Class B and Class C surface areas due to the volume of IFR traffic. A list of these Class B and Class C surface areas is contained in 14 CFR Part 91, Appendix D, Section 3. They are also depicted on sectional aeronautical charts.
  6. ATC provides separation between Special VFR flights and between these flights and other IFR flights.
  7. Special VFR operations by fixed-wing aircraft are prohibited between sunset and sunrise unless the pilot is instrument rated and the aircraft is equipped for IFR flight.
  8. Pilots arriving or departing an uncontrolled airport that has automated weather broadcast capability (ASOS/AWOS) should monitor the broadcast frequency, advise the controller that they have the “one-minute weather” and state intentions prior to operating within the Class B, Class C, Class D, or Class E surface areas.
 
Between working at class D and Class B towers, it was never something we solicited. At a class B, chopper wants to transition only, I tell them the field is IFR and make them verify the ATIS code, say intentions. 99% will say “we can maintain VFR would like to transition the Yankee Route” and I clear them in. If we get a guy who asks to transition SVFR I use the ole “remain outside Bravo airspace, frequency change approved“.

There are only one or two places I’m comfortable having a chopper transit when we are IFR. No way you’re getting IFR sep from me on top of that lol.
 
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