Pilot Institute

JANUARY 24, 2025

Special VFR is a clearance issued by Air Traffic Control (ATC) that allows pilots to operate in weather conditions below the standard VFR minimums. Special VFR (SVFR) is a clearance that is given to an aircraft by ATC that allows flights in controlled airspace under VFR when weather is below standard VFR minimums but above IFR thresholds.

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Clearance Pilot in Command Ceiling Weather 52

One Mile at a Time

MARCH 17, 2025

Yesterday was a challenging travel day in the United States, due to some weather systems. Anyone else who traveled yesterday knows it was a problem ridden due to a deadly weather system that moved across the country with a 50k ft ceiling (i.e. Quick background I am a current and 11 year EXPLAT (3 of which were CK). Incredible!

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Weather Tarmac Runway Ceiling 87

Flight Training Central

OCTOBER 14, 2024

For a flight under IFR or a flight not in the vicinity of an airport, weather reports and forecasts, fuel requirements, alternatives available if the planned flight cannot be completed , and any known traffic delays of which the pilot in command has been advised by ATC.

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Ceiling Pilot Weather Approach 98

iPad Pilot News

OCTOBER 11, 2024

Using Davis weather stations as backup weather reports iPad Pilot News Electronic flight bag apps like ForeFlight and Garmin Pilot have dozens of weather resources, from radar images to icing forecasts, but sometimes these familiar weather products aren’t enough.

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Weather Ceiling Pilot 52

Flight Training Central

FEBRUARY 8, 2025

What if you could take off on a day with a 2,000-foot overcast ceiling and then climb through a few hundred feet of clouds to cruise on top in clear weather? Are you a VFR pilot that hates being grounded just because there is a cloud layer over the airport? Welcome to Sportys IFR Insights Series, hosted by Spencer Suderman.

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Approach Ceiling Weather Pilot 52

Air Facts

FEBRUARY 10, 2025

Navigate also means managing weather, because thats often the biggest challenge on an IFR flight. We no longer need to worry about identifying VORs and dialing in the right radial, but we do need to worry about that thunderstorm sitting right on top of our direct route or the low ceiling at our destination. Is it all worth it?

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Pilot in Command Pilot Approach Airplanes 95

WayMan

DECEMBER 18, 2024

Weather Avoidance : Cruising at these heights keeps planes above turbulent weather patterns and clouds, ensuring smoother flights. For instance, commercial planes rarely exceed 43,000 feet, while private jets have an operational ceiling of around 51,000 feet. How High Can Military Aircraft Fly?

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Turbulence Drag Ceiling Weather 52

iPad Pilot News

JUNE 14, 2024

FAA Updates Datalink Weather Advisory Circular iPad Pilot News The rollout of ADS-B datalink weather over twelve years ago was an interesting time for GA pilots. The result was tangible, too, with weather-related fatal accidents steadily declining in the following years.

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Weather AGL Flight Deck Pilot 59

AV Web

NOVEMBER 15, 2024

It would appear almost everyone on the plane was belted when the rough air, associated with a strong weather system that brought late season convective storms and possible mountain wave effects to southeastern Greenland, was encountered. A few unbelted people were also reportedly launched skyward but there were no serious injuries.

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Turbulence Ceiling Lift Weather 116

AV Web

DECEMBER 26, 2024

( This story originally appeared in Aviation Safety Magazine.) “Everyone talks about the weather, but no one ever does anything about it. The typical GA pilot is exposed to three broad areas of risk: weather, aircraft suitability, and pilot capability. Weather is a what-you-see-is -what-you-get kind of thing. if it fails.

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Weather Airplanes Pilot Drag 52

Pilot's Life Blog

JULY 25, 2024

Before you become a commercial pilot, it’s important to know how to obtain a good weather briefing. Flying in appropriate weather helps make your flight enjoyable and keeps your passengers safe. It includes weather trends. Many pilots reference the weather briefings in their PIREPs.

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Weather Pilot True Airspeed Ceiling 52

iPad Pilot News

SEPTEMBER 6, 2024

Check the weather on your wrist with ForeFlight’s Apple Watch app iPad Pilot News ForeFlight released an Apple Watch version of its popular app last year, designed as a companion to the iPhone version. The post Check the weather on your wrist with ForeFlight’s Apple Watch app first appeared on iPad Pilot News.

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Weather NOTAMs Ceiling Runway 52

Air Facts

MARCH 24, 2025

Unfortunately, as most pilots can attest, weather that happens as forecast is a rare blessing. Its unlikely I would even do a cross-country training flight in a Piper Cherokee with ceilings at that altitude, and now I was doing exactly that but in a glider. And we were not blessed that week.

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Pilot Flight Computer Ceiling Tail 90

Inflight Pilot Training

MARCH 30, 2025

Youll learn how to navigate, communicate with Air Traffic Control, interpret weather, and conduct instrument approaches to airports, all without relying on whats outside your window. This rating adds an entirely new dimension to your skillsetand makes you a true all-weather aviator. A layer of clouds at 1,800 feet? Flight canceled.

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Pilot Weather Approach Visual Flight Rules 52

Flight Training Central

MARCH 31, 2025

Approach lighting systems are critical during low ceiling and low visibility conditions when you must decide whether to continue to land or execute a missed approach. Now let’s take a look at the approach lighting systems you are likely to encounter and see what they may look like in a variety of weather conditions.

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Approach Pilot Runway Descent 52

Airline Reporter

JANUARY 15, 2025

There are great little fold-out coat hooks on the seatbacks as well, which are quite handy for cold-weather trips. The cabin ceiling lighting near the front entry door is quite fun It will be sad, for many reasons, to see the venerable B757 fleet retire.

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Ceiling Jet Weather Airplanes 89

Vintage Aviation News

DECEMBER 26, 2024

The weather on that day, September 12, 2024, was rather miserable, but not atypical for Alaska with fall a few days away45 degrees F, ceiling less than 500 feet, and a cold, steady rain.

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Cargo Runway Ceiling Weather 116

Plane and Pilot

AUGUST 6, 2024

Maybe it’s the Georgia flying weather, or maybe it’s the ever-increasing emphasis on “old” pilot instead of “bold” pilot, but it seems that flight planning these days is a lot more about if and when than about route and altitude. The 1,000-foot en route ceiling means that approach minimums never come into question.

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Airplanes Weather Ceiling Turbulence 95

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 1, 2024

I cursed my decision to depart in developing low weather, but the only choice now was to press on through the crud, dodging cellular towers lining the highway. The conditions were a mile of visibility and about 500 feet of ragged ceiling, barely enough to maintain orientation by landmarks passing below. We were out of options.

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Weather Ceiling Approach Clearance 83

Pilot Institute

MARCH 6, 2025

AGL is important for drone pilots as the regular ceiling for drone flight is defined as 400 feet AGL. Rather, it is affected by many factors, such as weather conditions and the presence of obstacles. Information transmitted via ATIS can include weather information, NOTAMs, available approaches, or active runaways.

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Pilot Weather Air Traffic Control NOTAMs 52

Vintage Aviation News

JANUARY 19, 2025

By this point, it had bn decided to move the XS-1 test program to Muroc Army Airfield in the Mojave Desert of California due to better guarantees of secrecy and clearer weather conditions for flight tests.

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Cockpit Pilot Ceiling Thrust 98

Learn to Fly

APRIL 11, 2024

The saying “ in like a lion out like a lamb ” is most often used for March, but April can also be a crazy weather month. Once the decision is made to divert, the next decision is to return to the departure, continue to the alternate (which was determined as part of flight planning), or pick a new destination to get out of the weather.

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Weather Wind Shear Turbulence Ceiling 40

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 12, 2025

In busy airspace (Class B, C, D, and E surface areas), airport beacons are often turned on during the day when ground visibility is less than 3 miles or the ceiling is less than 1,000 feet. While these lights are designed to be visible from a distance, adverse weather conditions can limit their range and effectiveness.

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VOR Pilot Instrument Landing System Weather 64

One Mile at a Time

DECEMBER 26, 2024

This area has great views, thanks to the floor-to-ceiling windows. While the weather wasnt great during my visit, I still loved being able to watch all the activity at the airport. There are individual seats facing the windows, as well as some more tables.

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Airlines Airline Runway Ceiling 111

Flying Magazine

MAY 17, 2024

Despite challenging weather conditions, seasoned bush pilots navigated through deep, snow-covered canyons and low ceilings to arrive at Valdez-Pioneer Field (PAVD) for the launch of competition May 10. Despite temperamental weather with rain and light snow flurries throughout the weekend, aviation and STOL enthusiasts were undeterred.

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Ceiling Weather Pilot 97

Aerotime

DECEMBER 20, 2024

While most of it tends to be hidden away either in the cabin ceiling space or under the cabin floor panels, some of it – particularly the air conditioning riser ducts – is fitted in the cabin walls at certain intervals, making the inclusion of a window at that position impossible.

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Cabin Crew Descent Runway Approach 269

Vintage Aviation News

OCTOBER 30, 2024

Despite the fabric on the wooden blades being slightly frayed, they were not deemed to be too damaged to press on, and weather reports indicated improving conditions in Washington, D.C. The next day the truck arrived, and the replacement blades allowed the HNS-1 to take off and fly to Fort Meade and wait out the weather.

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Airplanes Jet Pilot Weather 105

Fear of Landing

MAY 24, 2024

It probably only lasted a few seconds, but I remember vividly seeing shoes and iPads and iPhones and cushions and blankets and cutlery and plates and cups flying through the air and crashing to the ceiling. Very suddenly there was a very dramatic drop so everyone seated and not wearing a seatbelt was launched immediately into the ceiling.

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Turbulence UTC Weather Airlines 94

Flight Training Central

NOVEMBER 18, 2024

Cold weather can mean better airplane performance and some beautiful winter sunrises, but it can also mean potential danger from the airplane’s exhaust manifold heating system. OSHA uses 200 ppm as a 5-minute sample ceiling, and 1500 ppm as an instantaneous limit. In our experience, pilots should err on the side of caution.

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Pilot Airplanes Cockpit General Aviation 52

Plane and Pilot

NOVEMBER 27, 2024

Often, turbulence is the harbinger of mountain waves, not the ideal ceiling—and visibility unlimited—day. FAA weather charts can help for higher altitudes but when just a few thousand feet agl, they may be less useful. Great Falls weather is fair and warm. It was all about the interaction of weather and terrain.

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Turbulence Weather Knot Descent 98

Air Facts

APRIL 29, 2024

A pit stop at North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (KCRE) was planned, and after a weather briefing, I filed an IFR flight plan. The Mooney is well-equipped for weather avoidance as it is equipped with a sophisticated spheric lighting detector. KCPC was reporting IFR conditions with a 700’ ceiling and one mile visibility.

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Descent Approach Weather AGL 98

Ask the Pilot

MAY 27, 2024

Any turbulence encounter powerful enough to kill a passenger, and to tear away ceiling panels and overhead lockers, is a frightening prospect. And as climate change intensifies weather patterns and creates more powerful storms, we may see more of them. The second is to emphasize the rarity of incidents like this one.

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Turbulence Ceiling Weather Jet 98

Air Facts

AUGUST 16, 2024

After refuelling, checking weather, filing my VFR flight plan using ForeFlight, coffee and a washroom break, I launched to my next destination, Greensboro. Flying back was bit more challenging from a weather perspective. Andy and I began our flight planning and weather reviews on Wednesday night. During the trip I put 18.1

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Weather Knot Ceiling Turbulence 98

Air Facts

AUGUST 5, 2024

Following a check of the weather, NOTAMS and TFR’s, you are confronted with some decisions to make. The weather is VMC but it’s hot, and the density altitude is really creeping up there. The day finally arrives for that long awaited trip up north to visit family. That’s a big difference from standard isn’t it?

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Density Altitude Ceiling Runway Weather 98

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 14, 2024

Each trip is, or can be, different in weather encountered, daylight consumed, intended purpose, or resulting outcome. These weather encounters, handled under VFR or IFR, can be undertaken more safely with a CFI, but there can never be enough dual given to see every aspect of meteorology.

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Weather Pilot Crosswind Approach 97

AV Web

SEPTEMBER 29, 2024

As I passed Atlanta, the skies went from sunny to cloudy, which was as advertised, but as I neared the South Carolina state line, the weather wasn’t lifting. But Anderson was reporting 300-foot overcast ceilings and everywhere else was just about as bad. Three hours came and went.

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Weather Runway Ceiling Lift 98

Flying Magazine

MAY 3, 2024

Soon after we landed, Jo McCaughan emailed to say that they were rejiggering the itinerary to go to Milford Sound and Fiordland on day one, thanks to a brief weather window. READ MORE: On the ‘Bax’ Foot: A Lifelong Writer Tackles the Spoken Word Beyond its peak, the weather turned significantly cloudier than forecast—no big surprise there.

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Knot Weather Airplanes Ceiling 117