Welcome Guest. Sign in or Signup

2 Answers

Cruise clearance & VFR on top operation & Contact approach

Asked by: 2969 views Airspace, Commercial Pilot, FAA Regulations, Flight Instructor, General Aviation, Private Pilot, Student Pilot

The book mentions that the cruise clearance, you can climb, level off, descend and cruise at an intermediate altitude at any time and does not require ATC clearance.

So, let us say I was cleared to cruise at 8000ft, then I can descend and climb back to 8000ft or stay at intermediate altitude without reporting to ATC? 

Secondly, when is the situation that we request VFR on top clearance during IFR flight? Books says that it allows more flexibility with regard to altitude assignment but I do not understand this.

Lastly, from the book "~contact approach retains your IFR clearance..."

What is the reason that the contact approach retains the IFR clearance and any reasons behind it ?

 

Steve

Ace Any FAA Written Test!
Actual FAA Questions / Free Lifetime Updates
The best explanations in the business
Fast, efficient study.
Pass Your Checkride With Confidence!
FAA Practical Test prep that reflects actual checkrides.
Any checkride: Airplane, Helicopter, Glider, etc.
Written and maintained by actual pilot examiners and master CFIs.
The World's Most Trusted eLogbook
Be Organized, Current, Professional, and Safe.
Highly customizable - for student pilots through pros.
Free Transition Service for users of other eLogs.
Our sincere thanks to pilots such as yourself who support AskACFI while helping themselves by using the awesome PC, Mac, iPhone/iPad, and Android aviation apps of our sponsors.

2 Answers



  1. Kris Kortokrax on May 31, 2016

    A cruise clearance gives you a block of altitudes between the specified altitude and the minimum IFR altitude. You may climb/descend at will between these altitudes. If you report leaving an altitude, you may not return to it without ATC clearance. The cruise clearance is also a clearance to shoot any approach and land at your destination.

    VFR on top, you can select a valid VFR altitude at which to fly. Your aircraft performance and capabilities may limit the altitudes avaliable.

    As to the contact approach, 1 mile of visibility and clear of clouts would not be allowed in controlled airspace under VFR.

    Your flight instructor should be able to explain this stuff to you.

    +1 Votes Thumb up 1 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes



  2. Skyfox on Jun 02, 2016

    Kris has a great answer there. For additional reference regarding VFR-on-top, refer to these other two previous questions:

    http://www.askacfi.com/32624/vfr-over-the-top.htm
    http://www.askacfi.com/5514/vfr-on-top.htm

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes


The following terms have been auto-detected the question above and any answers or discussion provided. Click on a term to see its definition from the Dauntless Aviation JargonBuster Glossary.

Answer Question

Our sincere thanks to all who contribute constructively to this forum in answering flight training questions. If you are a flight instructor or represent a flight school / FBO offering flight instruction, you are welcome to include links to your site and related contact information as it pertains to offering local flight instruction in a specific geographic area. Additionally, direct links to FAA and related official government sources of information are welcome. However we thank you for your understanding that links to other sites or text that may be construed as explicit or implicit advertising of other business, sites, or goods/services are not permitted even if such links nominally are relevant to the question asked.