G'day everyone,

Just completed my PPL Exam and was struck by a question that was on it. I'm curious what you guys think the correct answer would be.

There is a cloud base at 3000 BKN on your planned route and you are travelling in a heading of 040 M. Remaining in VMC what is the lowest cruising altitude you can fly at? OCTA

(This isn't exactly the way the question was worded, but I'm 100% sure that's what it was asking.)

ENR 1.7 - 10 tells me that from 000 to 179 for VFR flights using an Area QNH (Below 10000ft) the lowest cruising level I can fly at is 1500 on a magnetic track of 040 and still fulfil VMC requirements of clear of cloud.

However, the answers I was given to correctly chose from were:

a. A050
b. A035
c. A030
d. A075

I could be completely wrong on the supplied answers but I'm 100% sure if I had seen 1,500 I would of jumped on it. I initially selected 3,500ft, but changed my mind at the last minute thinking it did not fulfil VMC and chose 3,000.

Hi Anthony,

This is a bit odd if it is indeed worded as you described. Normally you are given cloud tops rather than bases. Are you sure they said "cloud base" at 3000ft? Is it possible they meant cloud tops at 3000ft or, in other words, a broken undercast at 3000?

If there was a BKN cloud layer to 3000ft, then your lowest possible VFR cruising level for 040^oM would be 5500ft. 3500 would not be available to you because you must maintain 1000ft vertical separation from cloud.

If you were going to cruise beneath the cloud layer and it had bases of 3000ft, 1500 ft would be the best VFR cruising level (terrain permitting obviously). Note, if you are under 5000ft AMSL, you can *theoretically* cruise at any level you like as long as you fulfill the VMC criteria. However, you should, wherever practicable, observe the VFR cruising levels even when cruising below 5000 ft AMSL.

You couldn't choose 3000ft since you would not have your 1000ft vertical separation from cloud

Cheers,

Rich

I got a similar question for my nav exam, please see my post in this thread.


www.bobtait.com.au/forum/navigation/2063-exam-debrief


Hope that helps


Cheers,