Descent below MDA -- what would you do?

I don't beleive weather reporting is a requirement for Special VFR per
FAR 91.157.

"gman" wrote in message
oups.com...

I don't beleive weather reporting is a requirement for Special VFR per
FAR 91.157.


Special VFR exists only in a surface area, weather reporting is a
requirement for a surface area.

Steven,
Could you point me to correct FAR paragraph? A quick search of the
part 91 FARs on AOPA's website did not turn up anything supporting your
statement.

Thanks

"gman" wrote in message
oups.com...

Steven,
Could you point me to correct FAR paragraph? A quick search of the
part 91 FARs on AOPA's website did not turn up anything supporting your
statement.


Which statement? That Special VFR exists only in a surface area or that
weather reporting is a requirement for a surface area?

For both.

"gman" wrote in message
ups.com...

For both.



FAR 91.155(c) states, " Except as provided in §91.157, no person may operate
an aircraft beneath the ceiling under VFR within the lateral boundaries of
controlled airspace designated to the surface for an airport when the
ceiling is less than 1,000 feet." That refers to a surface area.

From the Pilot/Controller Glossary:

SURFACE AREA- The airspace contained by the lateral boundary of the Class B,
C, D, or E airspace designated for an airport that begins at the surface and
extends upward.


The procedures for establishing surface areas are found in FAA Order 7400.2,
"Procedures for Handling Airspace Matters". There are two requirements that
must be met prior to establishing a surface area:

1.) Communications capability with aircraft must exist down to the runway
surface of the primary airport either directly with ATC or by rapid relay
through another communications facility which is acceptable to ATC, such as
a FSS.

2.) Weather observations must be taken at the primary airport during the
time of designation of the surface area.

"Steven P. McNicoll" wrote:
From the Pilot/Controller Glossary:
SURFACE AREA- The airspace contained by the lateral boundary of the Class B,
C, D, or E airspace designated for an airport that begins at the surface and
extends upward.

I probably should know this, but now that I (re-)read the above, I see that
there's several ways to parse that sentence with respect to B and C
airspace:

1) Only the inner cylinder that touches the surface is the surface area,
i.e. SVFR is not available in the outer rings of B/C airspace.

2) The boundaries of the surface area are exactly the same (vertical and
lateral) as the B/C airspace. This is what I had always assumed.

3) The surface area includes all the airspace from the edge of the
outermost ring projected down to the surface. This would be extremely
illogical, but it is one possible parsing.

Which is correct?

Is there such a thing as B, C, or D airspace in the US which is not
"designated for an airport"?

Steven,
FAR 91.155(c) explicitly refers to "controlled airspace" i.e. airspace
classified as E,D,C,B, and A. Since it is possible to be in E airspace
without being near an airport, it is possible to operate under Special
VFR as long as the requirements in FAR 91.157 are met. Moreover,
ground based weather reporting is NOT required for Special VFR and FAR
91.157 (c)(2) explains what to do if "..ground visibility is not
reported..".