Flight Category Calculator

• LIFR: ceiling < 500 ft or vis < 1 sm
• IFR: ceiling 500–<1000 ft or vis 1–<3 sm
• MVFR: ceiling 1000–3000 ft or vis 3–5 sm
• VFR: ceiling > 3000 ft and vis > 5 sm

Ceiling 800 ft, visibility 2 statute miles.

1. 1.Ceiling 800 ft → 500–1,000 ft band → IFR.
2. 2.Visibility 2 sm → 1–3 sm band → IFR.
3. 3.Take the more restrictive of the two → IFR.

IFR — instrument conditions.

The VFR/MVFR/IFR/LIFR categories summarise whether conditions allow visual flight, and colour the weather charts pilots scan before departure. The category is the more restrictive of the ceiling-based and visibility-based bands — a high ceiling doesn't help if the visibility is poor.

Memorise the four boundaries as a ladder: 500 / 1,000 / 3,000 ft for ceiling and 1 / 3 / 5 sm for visibility. The colours (LIFR magenta, IFR red, MVFR blue, VFR green) are worth knowing for chart questions.