Standardised European Rules of the Air

[IHPA NOTE: This document was prepared in 2018 by Phil Lardner (IHPA Training & Flight Safety Officer 2000 - 2023) at the request of John Murray (IAA). This document is a work in porogress. This edited version of the SERA rules (i.e. those relevant to IHPA / HG / PG pilots) has yet to be approved by the IAA]

SERA 2018 – VFR and Special VFR Rules

• https://www.easa.europa.eu/document-library/general-publications/easy-access-rules-standardised-european-rules-air-sera
• [VFR Rules: pages 52 - 57] 

Phases of flight for HG/PG (not an exhaustive list!)

NOTE: we need to go through each phase of flight and decide which parts of SERA apply

• Launching / Take-off from a hill side (privately owned land or commonage.)
• Top Landing (at or near the Take-off site) on a hill side (privately owned land or commonage.)
• Launching or landing near vertical structures (power lines / transmitter masts etc.)
• Bottom Landing in a privately owned field.
• Ridge / Hill Soaring.
• Flying Cross Country.
• Landing Out after a cross country flight.
• Flying over or near built up areas, vertical structures (antennae) or water.
• Launching / Flying / Landing within a controlled airspace (Killiney / Kinsale) - Special VFR.

QUESTION: What is the altitude limit (ceiling) for Class G airspace in Ireland?

• [Page 11] IAA guide-to-air-traffic-operations.pdf [2025: document is no longer available on IAA website!]
• Surface to 7500ft amsl
• Above 7500ft is Class C airspace.

NOTE: Only Class C and Class G airspaces are physically accessible to HG/PG pilots.

QUESTION: Do we need to issue a permanent NOTAM for HG/PG activities at Killiney / Kinsale? John Murray (IAA) raised this item during the meeting 21Mar2019.

NOTE: HG/PG flights from Killiney and Kinsale are conducted under Special VFR rules, as these sites are inside Class C airspace. Local ATC will dictate the terms of the Special VFR rules. All other flights are in Class G airspace and are covered by normal VFR rules.

ACTION: Find the email from Simon Curthoys / ATC (c2013?) detailing the protocol for contacting ATC and the conditions for flying Killiney / Kinsale (and Sligo.) Do we need a formal Letter of Agreement?

ACTION: Provide a list of all our flying sites to John Murray... and the shortened list of the most popular flying sites for the AIP. This is (I think) so that the IAA can grant permission for us to operate from agreed sites and be covered by the SERA rules... possibly!

NOTE: In the following SERA.5000 headings:

• GM1 stands for Guidance Material
• AMC1 stands for Acceptable Means of Communication.

NOTE: The term 'competent authority' means the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA)

NOTE: HG/PG flights from Killiney or Kinsale, which are inside Class C airspace, are conducted under Special VFR rules as agreed with the local ATC Service Provider.

NOTE: The text below is copied directly from the 2018 SERA.5000 document on the EASA website (link at the top of this page)

• Text in red appears to be not relevant to HG/PG pilots and could/should be removed if we put this document up on the IHPA website – our pilots only need to see what is directly relevant to them.
• Text in black appears to be directly relevant to HG/PG pilots... except where noted in blue, where I'm not 100% sure if it applies to us!

SERA.5001 VMC visibility and distance from cloud minima

(*) [IHPA Note - Not relevant to HG/PG] When the height of the transition altitude is lower than 3050m (10,000ft) AMSL, FL100 shall be used in lieu of 10,000ft.

(**) [IHPA Note - Not relevant to HG/PG] The VMC minima in Class A airspace are included for guidance to pilots and do not imply acceptance of VFR flights in Class A airspace.

(***)When so prescribed by the competent authority:

(a) flight visibilities reduced to not less than 1500m may be permitted for flights operating:

(1) at speeds of 140kts IAS or less to give adequate opportunity to observe other traffic or any obstacles in time to avoid collision; or

(2) in circumstances in which the probability of encounters with other traffic would normally below, e.g. In areas of low volume traffic and for aerial work at low levels;

(b) [IHPA Note - Not relevant to HG/PG] helicopters may be permitted to operate in less than 1500m but not less than 800m flight visibility, if manoeuvred at a speed that will give adequate opportunity to observe other traffic or any obstacles in time to avoid collision.

SERA.5005 Visual Flight Rules

(a) Except when operating as a special VFR flight, VFR flights shall be conducted so that the aircraft is flown in conditions of visibility and distance from clouds equal to or greater than those specified in Table S5-1.

(b) Except when a special VFR clearance is obtained from an air traffic control unit, VFR flights shall not take off or land at an aerodrome within a control zone, or enter the aerodrome traffic zone or aerodrome traffic circuit when the reported meteorological conditions at that aerodrome are below the following minima:

(1) the ceiling is less than 450m (1500ft); or

(2) the ground visibility is less than 5 km.

(c) [IHPA Note - Not relevant to HG/PG] When so prescribed by the competent authority, VFR flights at night may be permitted under the following conditions:

(1) if leaving the vicinity of an aerodrome, a flight plan shall be submitted in accordance with SERA.4001(b)(6);

(2) flights shall establish and maintain two-way radio communication on the appropriate ATS communication channel, when available;

(3) the VMC visibility and distance from cloud minima as specified in Table S5-1 shall apply except that:

(i) the ceiling shall not be less than 450 m (1500 ft);

(ii) the reduced flight visibility provisions specified in Table S5-1(a) and (b) shall not apply;

(iii) in airspace classes B, C, D, E, F and G, at and below 900m (3000ft) AMSL or 300m (1000ft) above terrain, whichever is the higher, the pilot shall maintain continuous sight of the surface; and

(5) except when necessary for take-off or landing, or except when specifically authorised by the competent authority, a VFR flight at night shall be flown at a level which is not below the minimum flight altitude established by the State whose territory is overflown, or, where no such minimum flight altitude has been established:

(i) over high terrain or in mountainous areas, at a level which is at least 600m (2000ft) above the highest obstacle located within 8km of the estimated position of the aircraft;

(ii) elsewhere than as specified in i), at a level which is at least 300m (1000ft) above the highest obstacle located within 8km of the estimated position of the aircraft.

(d) [IHPA Note - Not relevant to HG/PG] VFR flights shall not be operated:

(1) at transonic and supersonic speeds unless authorised by the competent authority;

(2) above FL195. Exceptions to this requirement are the following:

(i) an airspace reservation has been established, where practical, by the Member States, in which VFR flights may be allowed; or

(ii) airspace up to and including FL285, when VFR traffic in that airspace has been authorised by the responsible ATS unit in accordance with the authorisation procedures established by the Member States and published in the relevant aeronautical information publication.

(e) [IHPA Note - Not relevant to HG/PG] Authorisation for VFR flights to operate above FL285 shall not be granted where a vertical separation minimum of 300m (1000ft) is applied above FL290.

(f) Except when necessary for take-off or landing, or except by permission from the competent authority, a VFR flight shall not be flown:

(1) over the congested areas of cities, towns or settlements or over an open-air assembly of persons at a height less than 300m (1000ft) above the highest obstacle within a radius of 600m from the aircraft;

(2) elsewhere than as specified in (1), at a height less than 150m (500ft) above the ground or water, or 150m (500ft) above the highest obstacle within a radius of 150m (500ft) from the aircraft.

[IHPA NOTE: Following a meeting (21/3/2019) with the Irish Aviation Authority to discuss this point, the IAA feel that there is no need for an exemption for our sport. The IAA considers unpowered gliding aircraft descending below 150m to be in a landing phase of flight ("you'd be mad not to have a landing field picked out if you're that low") and therefore covered by paragraph (f) "except when necessary for take-off or landing..." If a glider subsequently hooks a thermal (below 150m) and starts climbing then they consider us to be in a take-off phase of flight.]

(g) [IHPA Note - Not relevant to HG/PG] Except where otherwise indicated in air traffic control clearances or specified by the competent authority, VFR flights in level cruising flight when operated above 900m (3000ft) from the ground or water, or a higher datum as specified by the competent authority, shall be conducted at a cruising level appropriate to the track as specified in the table of cruising levels in Appendix 3.

(h) VFR flights shall comply with the provisions of Section 8:

[IHPA Note – I 'think' this is relevant to us... but I'm not sure! Section 8 deals with Communications and Separation Minima.]

(1) when operated within Classes B, C and D airspace;

(2) [IHPA Note - Not relevant to HG/PG] when forming part of aerodrome traffic at controlled aerodromes; or

(3) when operated as special VFR flights.

(i) [IHPA Note - Not relevant to HG/PG] A VFR flight operating within or into areas or along routes designated by the competent authority, in accordance with SERA.4001(b)(3) or (4), shall maintain continuous air-ground voice communication watch on the appropriate communication channel of, and report its position as necessary to, the air traffic services unit providing flight information service.

(j) [IHPA Note - Not relevant to HG/PG] An aircraft operated in accordance with the visual flight rules which wishes to change to compliance with the instrument flight rules shall:

(1) if a flight plan was submitted, communicate the necessary changes to be effected to its current flight plan; or

(2)as required by SERA.4001(b), submit a flight plan to the appropriate air traffic services unit as soon as practicable and obtain a clearance prior to proceeding IFR when in controlled airspace.

[IHPA Note - Not relevant to HG/PG]

GM1 SERA.5005(c)(3)(iii)Visual flight rules _{ED Decision 2016/023/R}

NIGHT VFR ON TOP

AMC1 SERA.5005(f) Visual flight rules _{ED Decision 2013/013/R}

VFR MINIMUM HEIGHTS - PERMISSION FROM THE COMPETENT AUTHORITY

The competent authority should specify the conditions under which the permission is or may be granted, including the minimum heights above the terrain, water or the highest obstacle within a radius of 150m (500ft) from an aircraft practising forced landings, a balloon or an aircraft executing ridge or hill soaring.

[IHPA Note – The IAA have stated that they will grant permission to hill soar any site at any altitude on condition that we provide them with a list of all our flying sites and as long as we have permission from the landowner (or any of the landowners in the case of commonly owned land.) The IAA are happy to add new flying sites to the list of agreed flying sites on request.]

GM1 SERA.5005(f) Visual flight rules _{ED Decision 2013/013/R}

VFR MINIMUM HEIGHTS - PERMISSION FROM THE COMPETENT AUTHORITY

Subject to an appropriate safety assessment, permission from the competent authority may also be granted for cases like: [IHPA NOTE: I'm not sure how this is relevant to HG/PG... but I'm leaving it in for now!]

(a) aircraft operating in accordance with the procedure promulgated for the notified route being flown;

(b) [IHPA Note - Not relevant to HG/PG] helicopters operating at a height that will permit, in the event of an emergency arising, a landing to be made without undue hazard to persons or property on the surface;

(c) [IHPA Note - Not relevant to HG/PG] aircraft picking up or dropping tow ropes, banners or similar articles at an aerodrome;

(d) any other flights not specified above, where specific exemption is required to accomplish a specific task.

SERA.5010 Special VFR in control zones _{Regulation (EU) 2016/1185}

Special VFR flights may be authorised to operate within a control zone, subject to an ATC clearance. [IHPA Note - Not relevant to HG/PG] Except when permitted by the competent authority for helicopters in special cases such as, but not limited to, police, medical, search and rescue operations and fire-fighting flights, the following additional conditions shall be applied:

(a) such special VFR flights may be conducted during day only, unless otherwise permitted by the competent authority;

(b) by the pilot:

(1) clear of cloud and with the surface in sight;

(2) the flight visibility is not less than 1500m [IHPA Note - Not relevant to HG/PG] or, for helicopters, not less than 800m;

(3) fly at a speed of 140kts IAS or less to give adequate opportunity to observe other traffic and any obstacles in time to avoid a collision; and

(c) an air traffic control unit shall not issue a special VFR clearance to aircraft to take off or land at an aerodrome within a control zone, or enter the aerodrome traffic zone or aerodrome traffic circuit when the reported meteorological conditions at that aerodrome are below the following minima:

(1) the ground visibility is less than 1500m [IHPA Note - Not relevant to HG/PG] or, for helicopters, less than 800m;

(2) the ceiling is less than 180m (600ft).

[IHPA Note - Not relevant to HG/PG]

GM1 SERA.5010 Special VFR in control zones _{ED Decision 2016/023/R}

The list of type of operations subject to permit by the competent authority to deviate from the requirements for special visual flight rules (VFR) flights is not exhaustive. The competent authority may grant a permit for other kind of helicopter operations such as power line inspections, helicopter hoist operations, etc.

[IHPA Note - Not relevant to HG/PG]

AMC1 SERA.5010(a)(3) Special VFR in control zones _{ED Decision 2013/013/R}

SPEED LIMIT TO BE APPLIED BY HELICOPTER PILOTS

The 140kt speed should not be used by helicopters operating at a visibility below 1500m. In such case, a lower speed appropriate to the actual conditions should be applied by the pilot.

[IHPA Note - Not relevant to HG/PG]

GM1 SERA.5010(a)(3) Special VFR in control zones _{ED Decision 2013/013/R}

SPEED LIMIT TO BE APPLIED BY HELICOPTER PILOTS

The 140kt speed is to be considered as an absolute maximum acceptable speed in order to maintain an acceptable level of safety when the visibility is 1500m or more. Lower speeds should be applied according to elements such as local conditions, number and experience of pilots on board, using the guidance of the table below:Visibility (m)Advisory speed (kt)8005015001002000120

GM1 SERA.5010(b)(2) Special VFR in control zones _{ED Decision 2016/023/R}

When assessing the prevailing flight visibility, the pilots should use their best judgement. The assessment should be based, for example, on the pilot’s overall flight experience, knowledge of local conditions and procedures, visible landmarks, etc. Furthermore, the pilot should possess the latest weather observations and forecasts.

[IHPA Note - Not relevant to HG/PG]

AMC1 SERA.5010(b)(3) Special VFR in control zones _{ED Decision 2016/023/R}

SPEED LIMIT TO BE APPLIED BY HELICOPTER PILOTS

The 140kt-speed should not be used by helicopters operating at a visibility below 1500m. In such case, a lower speed appropriate to the actual conditions should be applied by the pilot.

GM1 SERA.5010(c) Special VFR in control zones _{ED Decision 2016/023/R}

When the reported ground visibility at the aerodrome is less than 1500m, ATC may issue a special VFR clearance for a flight crossing the control zone and not intending to take off or land at an aerodrome within a control zone, or enter the aerodrome traffic zone or aerodrome traffic circuit when the flight visibility reported by the pilot is not less than 1500m, [IHPA Note - Not relevant to HG/PG] or, for helicopters, not less than 800m.