HELICOPTER VFR MINIMUMS
Helicopters have the same VFR minimums as airplanes with two exceptions. In Class G airspace or under a special visual flight rule (SVFR) clearance, helicopters have no minimum visibility requirement but must remain clear of clouds and operate at a speed that is slow enough to give the pilot an adequate opportunity to see other aircraft or an obstruction in time to avoid a collision. Helicopters are also authorized (Part 91, appendix D, section 3) to obtain SVFR clearances at airports with the designation NO SVFR in the Airport Facility Directory (A/FD) or on the sectional chart. Figure 7-7 on page 7-8 shows the visibility and cloud clearance requirements for VFR and SVFR. However, lower minimums associated with Class G airspace and SVFR do not take the place of the VFR minimum requirements of either Part 135 regulations or respective OpsSpecs.

Knowledge of all VFR minimums is required in order to determine if a Point-in-Space (PinS) approach can be conducted, or if a SVFR clearance is required to continue past the missed approach point (MAP). These approaches and procedures will be discussed in detail later.