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Class E airspace

N

N24YW

Well Known Member
I was flying back to my home airport tonight, when I checked the awos, the weather visiblity was at 1 and 1/4. Class E airspace, I am flying VFR. I called center and asked for a Special VFR to get in. It took about 8 minutes before I got one. My question is I had a visual on the airport from 10 miles out. But the awos seems to get dust on it or something. (It is close to a gravel road.) I was just wondering if getting a special is required if I can see the airport from 10 miles out?

Jim Knight
Burlington Iowa
RV-6
 
Good question...

It would seem that the awos report was clearly (pun intended) in error. I wouldn't think you would need to request a special, but maybe report the erroneous awos to ATC. No clue how it would play out from a strict regulation viewpoint.
 
Sharing my ignorance

I had the identical experience with an uncontrolled airport a week ago. I could see the entire airport from ten miles out. Conditions were severe clear.

It's an uncontrolled airport therefore I don't need a radio therefore I don't have to pay attention to AWOS/ASOS.

I did not call anyone for permission or a "special"; it would have felt silly.

That's my version, anyhow.
 
Was it a Class E Surface Area?

AIM paragraph 4-4-5 essentially says that you have to have special VFR clearance for Class B, C, D, and Surface E. If there is no surface class E, it is not required. I was told once, but have not seen the reference, that there must be better weather reporting than ASOS/AWOS capablity an airport with Surface E in order for it to exist.

Also, like someone else said, visibility is based on what you see, not the ASOS.

Hope this helps and if someone else knows better, let me know.

Joe Hutchison
Trying to sell RV-8 Tailkit for upcoming deployment,
 
this is my take, class e, I'm assuming an uncontrolled airfield or it would be class D. Now it's up to us to decide, you could have just turned your radio off and not known what the awos was. no matter, YOU determined that the weather was indeed vfr, so you where ok.
 
Visibility is sometimes not what it appears

Visibility is sometimes not what it appears from above. I would not call center and ask for special VFR under the conditions you describe. There is a caution however. For 15 years I flew into El Monte's airport (EMT) in the Los Angeles basin every morning on my way to work before the tower opened and Class D went into effect. More than a few times I could see the airport clearly from above only to have it disappear during the flare as I "got down in it". Taxiing was a challenge.

Bob Axsom
 
Pilot is the final word

for private (verses commercial) operations VFR. I think the same is true of IFR private ops, but not as sure.
 
AWOS & ATIS only work IF you have a radio. Since you don't have to have a radio AWOS & ATIS are only informational.
 
The FAR's refer to in-flight visibility. And, don't forget, in most cases once you drop below 700 ft. you are in Class G airspace. One mile and clear of clouds.

-Andy
 
Steve Brown said:
for private (verses commercial) operations VFR. I think the same is true of IFR private ops, but not as sure.
Click to expand...
I would add: in uncontrolled airspace. For example, if approaching a Class D towered airport, if the tower thinks the field is IFR (i.e., per the observation), they will tell you to remain clear.

TODR
 
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