CAVOK
CAVOK (KAV-OH-KAY, "ceiling and visibility OK"): term ATC/FSS may use in air-ground communications when passing weather to arriving aircraft (TC AIM RAC 1.4).
Conditions at an airport, all simultaneous:
| Element | Requirement | Cite |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud | None below 5,000 ft, or below highest minimum sector altitude (MSA) if higher; no cumulonimbus | RAC 1.4(a) |
| Visibility | 6 SM or more | RAC 1.4(b) |
| Weather | No precipitation, thunderstorms, shallow fog, or low drifting snow | RAC 1.4(c) |
Use (RAC 1.4):
- Coupled with wind direction and speed, altimeter setting, pertinent remarks.
- Used in direct transmissions and ATIS messages.
- Pilot may still request detailed weather.
- Never for en route aircraft.
Trap: CAVOK 6 SM visibility is not the 3 SM controlled-airspace VFR minimum; CAVOK 5,000 ft / 6 SM is not the VFR/IFR category boundaries (1,000 / 3,000 ft and 3 / 5 SM).
References
- TC AIM RAC 1.4