I’ve Never Done VFR OTT

[Slick Goodlin]

As the title says, I’ve never done true VFR over the top and don’t know if I want to. Can anyone give a practical crash course to help me make up my mind on it?

[Scudrunner]

I think you could get a VFR OTT rating of somesort at least back in the day when I trained. From what I was told at the time, whats the point. kind of like de alcoholized beer.
Just go IFR cancel if you need to.

I find Canadian GA very adverse to IFR flying or asking for pop up IFR clearences, flight following etc. Can't tell you how to do it but I assume theirs a list of weather requirements to make it legal.

[mcrit]

In a nutshell: Departure and destination aerodromes VFR, Wx enroute IFR, but with 5000’ and 5SM vis (I’d have to look up those numbers to be absolutely certain on them) between cloud layers. You can fly between cloud layers enroute, but have to maintain VFR distances from the clouds. No special flight plan required, PPL requires a VFT OTT rating. CPL or higher, the VFR OTT rating is included in the license.

In 25 years of instructing I’ve never had anyone ask to do the VFR OTT rating.

[Nark]

So you’re saying Transport Canada has done something completely useless.

Hmmmm


We’re not too dissimilar down here. In order to fly a taildragger you need a CFI endorsement, Same with complex (flaps, gear and prop) and high performance (+200hp). Taildragger I get. Too many assholes balling them up affecting my insurance rate, the other two: useless.

[mcrit]

So you’re saying Transport Canada has done something completely useless.

Hmmmm


We’re not too dissimilar down here. In order to fly a taildragger you need a CFI endorsement, Same with complex (flaps, gear and prop) and high performance (+200hp). Taildragger I get. Too many assholes balling them up affecting my insurance rate, the other two: useless.

...regulators gonna regulate...

[Scudrunner]

I like the guys who put on their resumes "Mountain Endorsement"

[John Swallow]

Don't knock it if you haven't tried it. (;>0)

I was instrument qualified for over forty years. When I retired and subsequently built my aircraft, the question of IFR/VFR arose. An honest appraisal of the type of flying envisaged during my retirement years dictated "VFR"... The majority of my flying was going to be local (within a 100 miles) requiring VFR conditions; the necessity of maintaining the aircraft AND my self in IFR fitness would be an unnecessary expense.

However, having VFR/OTT authority has proved beneficial on many occasions - especially here in BC. There are many occasions when it is VFR in the interior valleys under broken conditions but IMC through the passes. Similarly, there are many occasions when it is VFR in the valleys of BC and in prairies of Alberta under broken conditions but IMC through the passes. Holding the authority to go VFR/OTT is a handy tool to have in your bag of tricks.

On different trips, I have gone from Vernon to 100 Mile House, the Coast, Nelson, Fairmont Hot Springs, Grande Prairie, and several trips from Alberta back to Vernon; all above cloud cover varying from broken to undercast. At destination, the weather is VFR and the cloud cover allows easy descent to below the cloud base...

Now, you're not going to accomplish the above with a map, a turn and bank, a wing-mounted ASI, and a whiskey compass: although my aircraft is not IFR certified, I have a panel-mounted Dynon Skyview w/synthetic vision, panel-mounted Garmin 496, side-mounted iPad w/Forelight, and Foreflight on my cell phone. Which is to say, if the GPS holds, I ain't getting lost... (;>0)


So, don't discard the ability to go VFR/OTT; it is a useful tool when to have available when the need arises...

[digits]

It is very common in Western Europe. There are lots of little fronts there, moving fairly predictable. It's also not a separate rating, so people sometimes just go out and do it.

Less smart or legal is leaving vfr, pop through the layer and land at a vfr destination. Which happens on longer trips as well....

[CpnCrunch]

It can be very useful flying over a layer of fog or marine layer if you or your plane aren't IFR, or there isn't any instrument approach. Quite a few times I've been flying somewhere and ended up over a layer of low cloud over the Georgia strait that's coming in over the coastline.

The VFR-OTT is a lot simpler to get than a full instrument rating, and the aircraft requirements aren't as onerous. I got my VFR-OTT when I got my night rating, before I got my full instrument rating a few years later, and it was pretty easy to get.

[Chuck Ellsworth]

for sure I have flown single engine VFR over the top of low stratus between Vancouver Island and the mainland as shown in the above picture.

And for sure I climbed high enough to easily glide to land in the event the engine failed.