FAA Sport Pilot Airplane (SPA)RegulationsMedium
A sport pilot is en route to a towered airport when visibility drops to 2 statute miles. The tower controller offers the pilot a special VFR clearance to enter the Class D surface area. According to 14 CFR 61.315, what must the sport pilot do?
- ADecline the clearance because sport pilots are not authorized to operate under special VFR
- BAccept the clearance because the flight visibility meets the 1 statute mile minimum for special VFR
- CAccept the clearance only in Class D airspace, since special VFR is prohibited only in Class B and C
- DAccept the clearance only if a flight instructor endorsement for special VFR is in the logbook
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Decline the clearance because sport pilots are not authorized to operate under special VFR
14 CFR 61.315(c)(6) prohibits sport pilots from operating an aircraft under special VFR in any surface area, regardless of airspace class. The pilot must wait for visibility to improve to standard VFR minimums before entering the Class D airspace.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Special VFR is not an available privilege for sport pilots regardless of visibility.
- C. The prohibition applies to all classes of airspace with special VFR provisions, not just Class B/C.
- D. No endorsement can grant special VFR privileges to a sport pilot; it is a certificate-level limitation.
Special VFR Prohibition
Sport pilots may never operate under a special VFR clearance in any surface area, per 61.315(c)(6).
- Applies regardless of airspace class
- No training or endorsement removes this limit
- Pilot must wait for standard VFR minimums
Memory trick: 'Sport pilots Stay Clear of Special VFR skies.'