FAA Military Competency Practice Exam

Under what condition can takeoffs and landings under Special VFR be authorized by ATC in Class D airspace?

1. Flight visibility of at least 1 SM

2. Ground visibility reported at all times

3. Flight visibility of at least 2 SM

4. Only for commercial aircraft

The correct answer is: Flight visibility of at least 1 SM

Takeoffs and landings under Special VFR in Class D airspace can be authorized by Air Traffic Control (ATC) when the flight visibility is at least 1 statute mile. This regulation is in place to ensure that pilots have sufficient visibility to operate safely in the vicinity of an airport, even when weather conditions do not meet the standard Visual Flight Rules (VFR) minimums. A visibility of 1 statute mile enables pilots to maintain visual contact with the runway and surrounding obstacles, which is critical during takeoff and landing phases. Other choices, such as a requirement for ground visibility reported at all times or flight visibility of at least 2 statute miles, exceed the minimum visibility requirements set by the FAA for Special VFR operations. Also, specifying that only commercial aircraft can utilize Special VFR does not align with FAA regulations, which allow any appropriately certificated pilot and aircraft to operate under Special VFR as long as the visibility criteria are met and additional requirements are fulfilled, regardless of aircraft type.