VFR (Visual Flight Rules)

Visual Flight Rules (VFR) are a set of aviation regulations that dictate how aircraft must be operated in meteorological conditions that are clear enough to allow the pilot to see where the aircraft is going. The primary tenet of VFR flight is "see and avoid," meaning the pilot is solely responsible for avoiding terrain, obstacles, and other aircraft.

To fly under VFR, the weather must meet specific Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC) minimums. These minimums vary depending on the airspace class (e.g., Class C vs. Class G) and the altitude, but generally require a minimum horizontal visibility (usually 5,000m or 8km) and specific clearance distances from clouds.

VFR navigation relies heavily on visual reference to the ground using topographical maps like the VTC (Visual Terminal Chart) and VNC (Visual Navigation Chart). Pilots use techniques such as pilotage (navigating by landmarks) and dead reckoning (navigating by calculating time, speed, distance, and heading) to maintain their course.