Socal tells us to maintain VFR and no seperation services are provided but then they still provide traffic alerts anyways. I figured ATC just did this in VFR conditions to minimize their workload and liability but it sounds like it's the difference between 1000' and 500' seperation for most airplanes. Is that right?
Short Explanation: Applicable to my airspace, Class D, E, G only:
IFR-IFR Separation (excluding wake turbulence) - 3 miles laterally or 1000ft vertically
VFR-VFR or VFR-IFR Separation:
None.
VFR Practice Approach - IFR Separation (excluding Wake Turb) - 3 miles laterally or 500ft vertically
Loooong explanation:
When you are VFR and cleared onto a practice approach, you've just completely changed how the controller views your flight. Within many classes of airspace, there is no separation minima for VFR aircraft. At my airport, we operate 2 Class D surface areas surrounded by class E and class G airspace. In this environment, we need only provide traffic advisories to VFR aircraft. They are not required to be kept a certain number of miles away from other VFR or IFR aircraft. As Boondr alluded to above, there is a moral responsibility to keep you from hitting someone, but there is no black and white minimum distance we must separate you by.
Until we clear you onto an approach. Then our manual states we shall provide normal IFR separation for your flight between you and other IFR aircraft, with the caveat that we can use 500ft vertical separation instead of 1000ft (the normal required vertical separation for IFR-IFR). This means you get 3 miles lateral separation from other IFR aircraft. Or 5 miles if following a heavy/B757 and you're a small aircraft like a cessna. The separation requirements for wake turbulence on final are also now applicable. Your small aircraft must be 6 miles behind an arriving Heavy by the time it crosses the threshold of the runway. This extra separation service continues until you land/go around, UNLESS we approve the approach's published missed procedure. Then the book says we shall protect your flight for the duration of you flying the published missed as well. If the published missed is not approved (vfr aircraft are not automatically authorized to fly the published missed, ifr aircraft are) then your flight returns to normal VFR status once you go missed. No more 3 miles, no more 500ft vertical etc, just business as usual.
As you can see, there is suddenly a lot more separation work required for your VFR flight once you're cleared onto an approach. As I mentioned in a previous post, the determination to clear you onto an approach or advise you "no separation services provided" is not up to the controller. It's established in local procedures and based on airport (maybe other factors). Anything can be accomplished with enough paperwork/coordination, so some facilities may do things differently, but it must be spelled out somewhere. If the controller is too busy, they can deny the practice approach, but I don't think it'd be ok for a controller to tell you "practice approach approved, no separation services provided" when making an approach to an airport that normally gives radar separation to VFR practice approaches. They can either clear you, or say unable.
To get further into the nitty gritty of FAA manuals, the 7210.3 governs the way ATC facilities are run. It states:
10-4-5. PRACTICE INSTRUMENT
APPROACHES
a
. VFR aircraft practicing instrument approaches
at the approach control's primary airport shall be
provided IFR separation in accordance with FAAO
2/11/10 JO 7210.3W
Services 10-4-3
JO7110.65, Air Traffic Control, Chapter 4, Section
8, Approach Clearance Procedures.
NOTE
The
primary airport is the airport from which approach
control service is provided, except for remoted facilities
where the facility air traffic manager will designate the
primary report.
b. IFR separation to VFR aircraft in accordance
with FAAO JO 7110.65, Chapter 4, Section 8,
Approach Clearance Procedures, shall be provided to
all secondary airports under the approach control's
jurisdiction to the extent possible within existing
resources. Where separation service is provided to an
airport with an AFSS/FSS that provides LAA, or a
nonapproach control tower, provisions for handling
such aircraft, including aircraft being provided DF
service, shall be included in a LOA.
c. Where standard separation is not provided to
VFR aircraft conducting practice approaches,
instruct the aircraft to maintain VFR and provide
traffic information.
d. At airports where the tower does not provide
approach control service, handle practice instrument
approaches in accordance with a LOA between the
tower and the facility providing approach control
service.
e. Facilities shall issue a letter to airmen advising
the users of those airports where standard separation
is provided for VFR aircraft conducting practice
instrument approaches. The letter should specify
which facility will handle the aircraft practicing
instrument approaches and include the appropriate
frequencies.
Little Summary to my big stupid post:
Whether you, as a VFR pilot practicing an instrument approach, will receive IFR separation on that approach, or not, is dependent on local directives. Regardless, a Letter to Airmen shall exist explaining which airports will receive separation, and which ones will not. Therefore, a controller should not arbitrarily clear or not-clear VFR aircraft onto approaches. It's all spelled out for him/her. At all times, VFR aircraft on, or off, an approach shall adhere to visibility/cloud clearance requirements. Clearance onto an approach while VFR is NOT an IFR clearance. It's merely a temporary condition of the VFR flight where IFR separation is provided.
I hope this answers more questions than it raises!
