Pilot reference
VFR weather minimums by airspace
The basic VFR minimums in 14 CFR 91.155 come down to two cloud-clearance shapes, three visibilities and a handful of exceptions. Here is the whole table, drawn and written out, with the exceptions people forget.
The table
| Airspace | Flight visibility | Distance from clouds |
|---|---|---|
| Class A | Not applicable (IFR only) | Not applicable |
| Class B | 3 SM | Clear of clouds |
| Class C | 3 SM | 500 ft below, 1,000 ft above, 2,000 ft horizontal |
| Class D | 3 SM | 500 ft below, 1,000 ft above, 2,000 ft horizontal |
| Class E, below 10,000 ft MSL | 3 SM | 500 ft below, 1,000 ft above, 2,000 ft horizontal |
| Class E, at or above 10,000 ft MSL | 5 SM | 1,000 ft below, 1,000 ft above, 1 SM horizontal |
| Class G, 1,200 ft AGL or less (any MSL altitude), day | 1 SM | Clear of clouds |
| Class G, 1,200 ft AGL or less, night | 3 SM | 500 ft below, 1,000 ft above, 2,000 ft horizontal |
| Class G, above 1,200 ft AGL and below 10,000 ft MSL, day | 1 SM | 500 ft below, 1,000 ft above, 2,000 ft horizontal |
| Class G, above 1,200 ft AGL and below 10,000 ft MSL, night | 3 SM | 500 ft below, 1,000 ft above, 2,000 ft horizontal |
| Class G, above 1,200 ft AGL and at or above 10,000 ft MSL | 5 SM | 1,000 ft below, 1,000 ft above, 1 SM horizontal |
Helicopters have their own Class G values in the same table (½ SM by day near the surface, for example). This page covers airplanes.
The exceptions and the rules around the table
- Night, Class G, in the pattern (14 CFR 91.155(b)(2)): below 1,200 ft AGL at night, an airplane may operate clear of clouds with at least 1 SM visibility (rather than 3 SM) when it is in an airport traffic pattern within ½ mile of the runway.
- Ceiling in a surface area (91.155(c)): you may not operate 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 ft.
- Visibility in a surface area (91.155(d)): to take off, land or enter the pattern under VFR inside a Class B, C, D or E surface area, ground visibility must be at least 3 SM, or, if none is reported, flight visibility must be at least 3 SM.
- The base of Class E (91.155(e)): an aircraft operating at the base altitude of a Class E area is considered to be in the airspace below it. At exactly 700 ft AGL under a 700 ft floor, Class G minimums apply.
- Special VFR (14 CFR 91.157) is the one way below these minimums inside a surface area: an ATC clearance, clear of clouds, and 1 SM flight visibility (plus the night and instrument-rating conditions in that section).
How to remember it
Most of the table is one shape: 3 statute miles, 500 below, 1,000 above, 2,000 horizontal, often taught as “3-152”. Learn that, then learn where it changes: Class B (clear of clouds), high Class E and Class G (5 SM and 1,000 / 1,000 / 1 SM), and low Class G by day (1 SM, clear of clouds).
Where people go wrong is not the numbers but the airspace: flying under a 700 ft Class E floor thinking they are in Class G, or treating the 1,200 ft AGL rows as if they were MSL. If that is your weak spot, the Class E page draws the floors.
What are the VFR weather minimums in Class E airspace?
Below 10,000 ft MSL: 3 statute miles visibility, 500 ft below, 1,000 ft above and 2,000 ft horizontally from clouds. At or above 10,000 ft MSL: 5 statute miles, 1,000 ft below, 1,000 ft above and 1 statute mile horizontally (14 CFR 91.155(a)).
What are the VFR minimums in Class G airspace by day?
At 1,200 ft above the surface or less: 1 statute mile and clear of clouds. Above 1,200 ft AGL but below 10,000 ft MSL: 1 statute mile, 500 ft below, 1,000 ft above, 2,000 ft horizontal. Above 1,200 ft AGL and at or above 10,000 ft MSL: 5 statute miles, 1,000 / 1,000 / 1 SM.
What are the VFR minimums in Class B airspace?
3 statute miles flight visibility and clear of clouds (14 CFR 91.155(a)).
Can I fly VFR in a surface area when the ceiling is below 1,000 ft?
Not beneath the ceiling, unless you have a special VFR clearance under 91.157. 91.155(c) prohibits VFR beneath a ceiling of less than 1,000 ft within the lateral boundaries of controlled airspace designated to the surface for an airport.
Sources
- 14 CFR 91.155, Basic VFR weather minimums (eCFR Title 14, current as of 9 November 2026; text unchanged since 2014).
- 14 CFR 91.157, Special VFR weather minimums.
- Checked on 11 November 2026. If a rule has changed since, the regulation governs; tell us and we will correct the page.
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Last updated 11 November 2026.