VFR Over-The-Top Hits Rock-Bottom

Erik Minty
Staff Flyer

The distinction between VFR (Visual Flight Rules) and IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) forms a great schizm among pilots. Most VFR pilots hold IFR pilots with a certain reverent sense of Godlike awe, while most IFR pilots just wish VFR pilots would get the hell out of the way.

VFR is how pilots typically learn to fly. The general rule of the day is to keep your head outside of the cockpit and fly by maintaining a visual reference to the ground at all times (with periodic checks inside of course, to check altitude and make sure your engine isn't overheating, etc.) Progression from this involves many intense hours of training to learn how to fly by instruments alone, into the world of IFR. Commercial airline pilots are all IFR pilots, which allows them to fly in all but the most severe weather (thunderstorms, hurricanes, etc.) without running into things (the ground, other aircraft ...)

The scariest situation that a VFR pilot is likely to be in, is to get boxed in by weather. Here is a pilot who does not know how to maintain proper control of the aircraft if (s)he cannot see the ground. Typically, they see the air getting hazier and hazier, with large banks of clouds all around, even cutting off all routes to any nearby airports. I remember reading a safety brochure, which described a number of simulator tests that were conducted. In these tests, pilots with only VFR experience were placed in a situation where they had lost visual contact with the ground. Average life expectancy of these test subjects was a knuckle-wrenching 178 seconds. 3 minutes before crashing into the ground in a very unnatural attitude.

Now that the lecture portion of this article is over, on to a recent experience. I recently received a notification in the mail that Transport Canada would now be permitting VFR Over-The-Top (OTT). There was more to it, but I was hurried and didn't get to the details right away. Instead I had time to fret greatly about this. OTT is something that is allowed in the U.S., but not in Canada. What it means that a VFR pilot is allowed to fly up through a "hole" in the clouds and fly above the clouds. (Now maintaining visual reference to the cloud tops). It's hard to navigate of course, which is the real problem. Often these holes close up.

I once knew an air traffic controller at Vancouver who was also a commercial pilot in another life-time. He lectured us once about this very topic, and his experiences. More than once he had been called upon (with his flight experience which most controllers don't have) to talk down a very frightened OTT American pilot through the clouds. His opinion of course that such situations were simply not necessary, and we of course all agreed that OTT for non-IFR pilots was far beyond foolish. I am reminded of an old saying that goes, "I would rather be on the ground wishing I was flying, than be flying wishing I was on the ground."

Now before you all go off in a panic and write nasty letters to Transport Canada Aviation, I eventually read the rest of the notice. OTT will only be allowed by qualified IFR pilots (who sometimes fly VFR recreationally). The idea being that if (s)he got into a bad situation, (s)he will be able to switch to IFR flight and descend through the clouds safely, without the need of putting a few more grey hairs on the heads of some poor air traffic controllers.

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VFR Over-The-Top Hits Rock-Bottom

Erik Minty Staff Flyer

Erik Minty
Staff Flyer