What is the required flight visibility and distance from clouds if you are operating in Class E?

VFR cloud clearance requirements are listed in 14 CFR 91.155 and for Class E airspace specifies:

Table of Contents Show

European and UK VFR minima
Uncontrolled airspace (class F & G)
Controlled airspace (classes C to E) By Day
Controlled airspace (classes C to E) By Night
Canada VFR minima
Uncontrolled Airspace (class G):[3]
Controlled Airspace (any class B, C, D, E)
Control Zones (can consist of B thru E)
Class A airspace
US VFR minima
External links

Class E:
Less than 10,000 feet MSL. Flight Visibility: 3 statute miles
Distance From Clouds: 500 feet below, 1,000 feet above, 2,000 feet horizontal.

At or above 10,000 feet MSL. Flight Visibility: 5 statute miles
Distance From Clouds: 1,000 feet below, 1,000 feet above, 1 statute mile horizontal.

There is also a requirement specific to Class E surface areas that says that the ceiling must be at least 1,000 feet in order to operate in the airspace. It is also listed in 91.155:

(c) Except as provided in Sec. 91.157, no person may operate an aircraft beneath the ceiling under VFR within the lateral boundaries of controlled airspace designated to the surface for an airport when the ceiling is less than 1,000 feet.

Note that there are exceptions for both of these that refer to 91.157 Special VFR Weather Minimums if you are instrument rated and the aircraft is instrument equipped.

Pilot's tip of the week

Featuring John Krug

“Let’s review briefly the cloud clearance requirements and reasons for each. For the altitudes most of us fly, it is simple.

In general, when in Class E, D or C, you must remain 500 feet below, 2,000 feet laterally or 1,000 feet above any clouds. This is to allow an IFR aircraft popping out of the clouds sufficient time to see and avoid a VFR aircraft.

In Class B airspace, we merely have to remain clear of clouds. Because in a Class B, all traffic (both IFR and VFR) is under positive control of ATC.

None of this allows a VFR pilot to enter a cloud. If an ATC vector or altitude assignment will cause you to enter a cloud, you must promptly advise ATC that you are Unable due to weather and request an alternate clearance.”

Aviation flight category

VFR / VMC visibility requirements in the US

In aviation, visual meteorological conditions (VMC) is an aviation flight category in which visual flight rules (VFR) flight is permitted—that is, conditions in which pilots have sufficient visibility to fly the aircraft maintaining visual separation from terrain and other aircraft. They are the opposite of instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). The boundary criteria between IMC and VMC are known as the VMC minima and are defined by: visibility, cloud ceilings (for takeoffs and landings), and cloud clearances.

The exact requirements vary by type of airspace, whether it is day or night (for countries that permit night VFR), and from country to country. Typical visibility requirements vary from one statute mile to five statute miles (many countries define these in metric units as 1,500 m to 8 km). Typical cloud clearance requirements vary from merely remaining clear of clouds to remaining at least one mile away (1,500 m in some countries) from clouds horizontally and 1,000 feet away from clouds vertically. For instance, in Australia, VMC minima outside controlled airspace are clear of cloud with 5,000 m visibility below 3,000 ft AMSL or 1,000 ft AGL (whichever is higher), and 1,000 ft vertical/1,500 m horizontal separation from cloud above these altitudes or in controlled airspace. Above 10,000 ft, 8,000 m visibility is required to maintain VMC. Air traffic control may also issue a "special VFR" clearance to VFR aircraft, to allow departure from a control zone in less than VMC – this reduces the visibility minimum to 1,600 m.

Generally, VMC requires greater visibility and cloud clearance in controlled airspace than in uncontrolled airspace. In uncontrolled airspace there is less risk of a VFR aircraft colliding with an instrument flight rules (IFR) aircraft emerging from a cloud, so aircraft are permitted to fly closer to clouds. An exception to this rule is class B airspace, in which ATC separates VFR traffic from all other traffic (VFR or IFR), which is why in class B airspace lower cloud clearance is permitted.

European and UK VFR minima

The following minima apply in Europe[1] and the UK.

Uncontrolled airspace (class F & G)

At and above FL 100:

8 km flight visibility, 1500 m horizontally from cloud, 1000 ft (300m) vertically from cloud

Below FL 100:

5 km flight visibility, 1500 m horizontally from cloud, 1000 ft (300m) vertically from cloud

At or below 3,000 ft:

5 km flight visibility, clear of cloud and in sight of the surface or, for an aircraft, other than a helicopter, operating at 140 kt or less:

1,500 m flight visibility, clear of cloud and in sight of the surface

For helicopters: Clear of cloud and in sight of the surface at a speed which is commensurate with the visibility.[2]

Controlled airspace (classes C to E) By Day

At and above FL 100:

8 km flight visibility, 1,500 m horizontally from cloud, 1,000 ft (300m) vertically from cloud

Below FL 100:

5 km flight visibility, 1,500 m horizontally from cloud, 1,000 ft (300m) vertically from cloud

Alternatively at or below 3,000 and operating at 140kt or less ft:

For helicopters: Clear of cloud and in sight of surface with a flight visibility of 1500m

Controlled airspace (classes C to E) By Night

At and above FL 100:

8 km flight visibility, 1,500 m horizontally from cloud, 1,000 ft (300m) vertically from cloud

Below FL 100:

5 km flight visibility, 1,500 m horizontally from cloud, 1,000 ft (300m) vertically from cloud[2]

Canada VFR minima

Uncontrolled Airspace (class G):[3]

Surface to 1000 feet AGL

Day: Clear of Cloud. 2 statute miles for fixed wing, 1 statute mile for helicopter

Night: Clear of Cloud. 3 statute miles visibility.

Above 1000 feet AGL

Day: 2000 feet horizontally, 500 feet vertically from cloud. 1 statute mile visibility

Night: 2000 feet horizontally, 500 feet vertically from cloud. 3 statute miles visibility

Controlled Airspace (any class B, C, D, E)

1 mile horizontally, 500 feet vertically from cloud. 3 statute miles visibility.[4]

Control Zones (can consist of B thru E)

Maintain at least 500 feet AGL except when taking off or landing.[5]

Class A airspace

VFR flight prohibited in Class A airspace.

US VFR minima

United States Visual Flight Rules are provided in Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 91, Section 155:[6]

United States requirements for Visual Flight Rules[a][6]

Airspace class	Time	Altitude
Surface to 1200 feet AGL[b]	1200 feet AGL to 10,000 feet MSL	1200 feet AGL and above 10,000 feet MSL
Visibility[c]	Clearance from clouds[d]	Visibility[c]	Clearance from clouds[d]	Visibility[c]	Clearance from clouds[d]
G	Day	1[e]	clear of clouds[f]	1	500 below, 1000 above, 2000 horizontally	5	1000 below, 1000 above, 1 SM horizontally
Night	3[g]	500 below, 1000 above, 2000 horizontally[f]	3	500 below, 1000 above, 2000 horizontally

Airspace class	Time	Altitude
Below 10,000 feet MSL	At or above 10,000 feet MSL
Visibility[c]	Clearance from clouds[d]	Visibility[c]	Clearance from clouds[d]
E	Day or night	3	500 below, 1000 above, 2000 horizontally	5	1000 below, 1000 above, 1 SM horizontally

Airspace class	Time	Any altitude
Visibility[c]	Clearance from clouds[d]
D	Day or night	3	500 below, 1000 above, 2000 horizontally
C
B	Clear of clouds
A	Prohibited[h]

Notes

^ Rules for helicopters/rotorcraft noted as exceptions.
^ Except as provided for in §91.155, paragraph (b).[6]
^ a b c d e f In statute miles (SM)
^ a b c d e f In feet, unless otherwise noted
^ For helicopters: 1⁄2 SM
^ a b For helicopters: clear of clouds
^ For helicopters: 1 SM
^ Exception for emergency NORDO operations. Pilots in Class A airspace must be instrument rated, operating with an IFR flight plan, and aircraft must be equipped with 2-way radios, a Mode-C Transponder, and ADS-B out.

References

^ https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=celex%3A32012R0923[bare URL]
^ a b Manual of Air Traffic Services Part 1
^ "Car 602.115". 6 March 2022.
^ "CAR 602.114".
^ "CAR 602.114 (d)(ii)".
^ a b c 14 CFR 91.155