Civil Aviation Act, 2009 (Act No. 13 of 2009)

Regulations

Civil Aviation Regulations, 2011

Part 91 : General Aviation and Operating Flight Rules

Subpart 6 : Rules of the Air

Division Two : Visual flight rules

91.06.21 Visibility and distance from cloud

Purchase

(1)	VFR flight shall be conducted to enable an aircraft that is flown in conditions of visibility and distance from clouds equal to or greater than those specified in Tables 1 and 2:

Table 1
Airspace	Flight visibility	Distance from clouds	Ground visibility and ceiling
Control zones	Five km	Horizontally: 1500 metres Vertically: 1000 ft	No aircraft shall take-off from, land at, or approach to land at an aerodrome or fly within the control zone when the ground visibility at the aerodrome concerned is either less than 5 km or the ceiling is less than 1 500 ft.
Within an aerodrome traffic zone (which does not also comprise a control zone or part of a control zone)	Five km	Horizontally: 1500 metres Vertically: 1000 ft	No aircraft shall take-off from, land at or approach to land at an aerodrome or fly within the aerodrome traffic zone when the ground visibility within such aerodrome traffic zone is either less than 5 km or the ceiling is less than 1 500 ft.

Note: When the height of the transition altitude is lower than 3 050 m (10 000 ft) AMSL, FL 100 should be used in lieu of 10 000 ft.

Table 2 In Airspaces other than those specified in Table 1
Airspace class	Altitude band	Forward Flight visibility	Distance from cloud
C F G	At and above 10 000 feet above MSL	8 km	1 500 m horizontally 1 000 ft vertically
C F G	Below 10 000 feet AMSL and above 3 000 ft above MSL, or above 1 000 feet above terrain, whichever is the higher	5 km	1 500 m horizontally 1 000 ft vertically
C	At and below 3 000 feet above MSL, or 1 000 feet above terrain, whichever is the higher	5 km	1 500 m horizontally 1 000 ft vertically
F G		5 km	Clear of cloud and with the surface in sight

Note: When the height of the transition altitude is lower than 3 050 m (10 000 ft) AMSL, FL 100 should be used in lieu of 10 000 ft.

(1A)	The flight visibility minima for VFR operation specified in Table 1 relating to an aeroplane when prescribed by an appropriate ATS authority, and at the discretion of an ATC, may be reduced for a flight operating—

(a)	at speeds that, in the prevailing visibility, will give adequate opportunity to observe other traffic or any obstacles in time to avoid collision; or

(b)	in circumstances where a probability of encounters with other traffic would normally be low, such as in low-volume traffic areas and for low-volume aerial work at low levels.

(1B)	The flight visibility minima specified in Table 1 in relation to a helicopter, when prescribed by an appropriate ATS authority and at the discretion of an ATC, may be reduced to less than 1 500m, but not less than 800m, with a ceiling of not less than 600ft, provided that all flights are conducted—

(a)	if manoeuvred at a speed that will give adequate opportunity to observe other traffic or any obstacles in time to avoid collision;

(b)	proof of being allocated an RTF call sign and 3 or 2 letter aircraft designators issued in terms of Part 176 is provided; and

(c)	in terms of Parts 93, 96, 127,128, 137, and 138 operation; or

(d)	as approved by the Director.

Provided that—

(i)	the limitations as contained in Table 1 shall not prevent a helicopter from conducting hover-in-ground-effect or hover-taxi operations within the confines of a controlled aerodrome, if the visibility is not less than 100 m;

(ii)	the minima specified in Table 1 are not applicable when a helicopter is entering or leaving a CTR and such flight has received clearance from an ATSU to operate under Special VFR minima as prescribed in regulation 91.06.22.

(iii)

helicopters shall be permitted to operate in less than 1 500 m flight visibility outside of controlled airspace, if manoeuvred at a speed that will give adequate opportunity to observe other traffic or any obstacles in time to avoid collision.

(2)	VFR flight is not permitted—

(a)	at transonic or supersonic speed; or

(b)	above FL200.

[Regulation 91.06.21 substituted by section 8(d) of the Thirty-Third Amendment of the Civil Aviation Regulations, 2026, Notice No. 7844, GG55226, dated 21 August 2026 and shall come into operation upon Publication in the Government Gazette, save for Part 92, which shall come into operation upon the Proclamation by the President of the Civil Aviation Amendment Act, 2021 (Act No. 22 of 2021]