Aviation glossary

What is VFR?

Visual Flight Rules

VFR (Visual Flight Rules) is flying by visual reference to the ground and horizon, in weather at or above the visual minima.

Under Visual Flight Rules the pilot navigates and avoids other traffic and obstacles by looking outside, using visual reference to the surface and horizon. VFR can only be flown in Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC), where visibility and distance from cloud meet defined minima.

The bulk of UK general-aviation and training flying is VFR. When the weather drops below VMC, flight must be conducted under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR).

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Related terms

IFRIFR (Instrument Flight Rules) is flying by reference to the aircraft's instruments, used in poor weather or by choice, under a defined set of rules.VMCVMC (Visual Meteorological Conditions) is weather good enough to fly visually, meeting the minimum visibility and distance-from-cloud requirements for VFR.IMCIMC (Instrument Meteorological Conditions) is weather below the visual minima, where flight must be by reference to instruments.Flight category (VFR, MVFR, IFR, LIFR)Flight category is a colour-coded summary of conditions (VFR, MVFR, IFR or LIFR) derived from the cloud ceiling and visibility.

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