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FAA regulations

Asked by: 2416 views FAA Regulations

my question is there are any situation we can takeoff VFR and pick up IFR clearance in the air when we in the uncontrolled airport and how can we do that? the weather report the ceiling is 800 feet.

another question is what is the minimum IFR climb gradient.

thank you for all guys.

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3 Answers

  1. Best Answer


    Mark Kolber on Dec 01, 2016

    Where are you in your training? This is something elementary that should be covered.

    Short answer, yes you can, in theory. In theory, at a nontowered airport that is not a Class E surface area, it is a simple as filing your IFR flight plan, taking off, and calling ATC to ask for your clearance. You can’t do it with a Class E surface area because of 91.155(c).

    That’s theory. But here’s a few items of practical reality (there are more):

    With that 800′ ceiling (even assuming it stays that way), you would need to remain pretty low while waiting in very marginal conditions, probably need to circle the airport, depending on where you are. Needing to do so because circling is the only way to get into an airport is one thing; doing so when you don’t need to strikes me as a bit foolhardy. Heding enroute at that altitude, a death wish. And, of course, depending on your airport, your takeoff circling may be below the circling minimums for an approach, maybe even below the straight-in minimums.

    With widespread IFR conditions, ATC will be busy, separation is likely to be an issue, so you might be circling for a while before they can fit you in the system. I actually tried that one day with a 1200′ ceiling. I easily had to circle for 10-15 minutes until ATC gave me an IFR release.

    Do you know for sure you can reach ATC at that low altitude?

    Picking up an IFR clearance in the air is pretty common and a very good deal, if you can proceed enroute in good VFR in the meantime. In your scenario, well, I have no desire to accept that level of risk when I can take care of it with a phone or radio call from the ground.

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  2. Russ Roslewski on Dec 02, 2016

    In addition to Mark’s excellent answer, I would add an additional complication. You need to worry both about VFR cloud clearance requirements AND minimum altitude rules.

    Assuming that you have a 700 ft AGL Class E airspace floor over the airport, if you stay below 700 ft AGL you only need to be clear of clouds (Class G). If you go above 700 AGL then you are in Class E and need to remain 500 feet below the clouds, which of course would put you back down into Class G. So, you can fly at 700 and be fine, clear of clouds, but no higher.

    But at 700 feet AGL you run into problems with the minimum altitude rules. If you’re in a congested area, you’re already not complying with the “1000 feet over the highest obstacles within 2000 feet horizontally”. So you can’t do it in a congested area. What about a sparsely populated area, where you need to remain 500 feet from any person or structure? There are lots of antenna towers and windmills and water towers that are more than 200 feet tall, so you also need to do a lot of weaving around, with a low ceiling, possible low visibility, while busy trying to get your clearance.

    Some would argue that the exception to the minimum altitude rules that allows for takeoff and landing relieve you of these minimum requirements, but I would suggest that once you are leveled off at 700 AGL, you are no longer “taking off or landing”. You are in cruise flight, even if it’s very low cruise flight.

    I agree with Mark that it’s usually a foolish option. Get the clearance on the ground.

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  3. DEBarker278 on Dec 07, 2016

    Why even take off into weather like that when you can just call the National Clearance Number
    888-766-8267 and get your clearance while on the ground from any airport in the US

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