Which flight category corresponds to ceilings 1,000–3,000 ft and/or visibility 3–5 miles?

• A. LIFR: ceilings below 500 ft or visibility below 1 mile
• B. VFR: ceilings above 3,000 ft and visibility above 5 miles
• C. IFR: ceilings below 1,000 ft and/or visibility below 3 miles
• D. MVFR: ceilings 1,000–3,000 ft and/or visibility 3–5 miles

Answer: (D)

Weather categories for flight are defined by ceiling height and visibility to indicate what kind of flight rules apply. MVFR covers conditions that are worse than good visual flight rules but not so bad as to require instrument flight rules. Specifically, MVFR means ceilings from 1,000 to 3,000 feet and/or visibility from 3 to 5 miles. So the given values fit this category because the ceiling falls within 1,000–3,000 feet and/or the visibility falls within 3–5 miles.

If ceilings drop below 1,000 feet or visibility falls below 3 miles, that’s IFR. If ceilings are below 500 feet or visibility below 1 mile, that’s LIFR. If ceilings exceed 3,000 feet and visibility exceeds 5 miles, that’s VFR.