Visual Flight Rules

ENR 1.2 VISUAL FLIGHT RULE

1. GENERAL

The air traffic rules and procedures applicable to Visual Flight Rules (VFR) in the Syrian Arab Republic conform with ICAO Annex 2 (Rules of the Air — 11th Edition, Amendment 49, Chapter 4), as detailed below:

1.1 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 ICAO Annex 2, Table 3-1.

1.2 Except when a clearance is obtained from an Air Traffic Control (ATC) unit, VFR flights shall not take off or land at an aerodrome within a Control Zone (CTR), or enter the Aerodrome Traffic Zone (ATZ) or traffic pattern:
    a) when the ceiling is less than 450 m (1,500 ft); or
    b) when the ground visibility is less than 5 km.

1.3 VFR flights shall not be operated:
    a) between sunset and sunrise;
    b) above Flight Level 150 (FL 150); and
    c) at transonic and supersonic speeds.

1.4 Except when necessary for taking off or landing, or except by permission from the competent authority, a VFR flight shall not be flown:
    a) over the congested areas of cities, towns, or settlements, or over an open-air assembly of persons, at a height less than 300 m (1 000 ft) above the highest obstacle within a radius of 600 m from the aircraft;
    b) elsewhere than as specified in 1.4 a), at a height less than 150 m (500 ft) above the ground or water.

ICAO ANNEX 2 — RULES OF THE AIR 
Table 3-1: Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC) Visibility and Distance from Cloud Minima

Important Explanatory Notes:

(***) Class A airspace is included for reference. VFR flights are normally not permitted in Class A.
(**) Local aviation authorities may permit a lower flight visibility of 1.5 km in Classes F and G under special conditions:
• Flight speeds are low enough (140 knots or less) to see and avoid other traffic.
• Air traffic density is low.
• For helicopters, visibility can be lower than 1.5 km but usually not less than 800 m

2-VFR Flight Requirements