Many pilots refer to this as the 1-2-3 rule: Plus or minus 1 hour from arrival, ceilings at least 2,000 feet and visibility at least 3 statute miles.
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1 hour before to 1 hour after your ETA (at the listed destination), the ceiling will be at least 2,000' AGL, and the visibility will be at least 3 SM. It's called the 1-2-3 rule; this is the easiest way to remember this section.
Standard alternate minimums for non-precision approaches and approaches with vertical guidance [NDB, VOR, LOC, TACAN, LDA, SDF, VOR/DME, ASR, RNAV (GPS) or RNAV (RNP)] are 800-2. Standard alternate minimums for precision approaches (ILS, PAR, or GLS) are 600-2.
Not more than one hour from the departure airport at normal cruising speed in still air with one engine inoperative. (2) Aircraft having three or more engines. Not more than two hours from the departure airport at normal cruising speed in still air with one engine inoperative.
Standard takeoff minima are one statute mile for aircraft having two engines or less and one-half statute mile for aircraft having more than two engines. Specified ceiling and visibility minima will allow visual avoidance of obstacles during the initial climb at the standard climb gradient.
VFR cruising altitude rules in the US and CanadaOn a magnetic course of 0-179 degrees shall fly at an odd thousand ft MSL altitude +500 feet (e.g., 3,500, 5,500, or 7,500 ft); or. On a magnetic course of 180-359 degrees shall fly at an even thousand ft MSL altitude +500 feet (e.g., 4,500, 6,500, or 8,500 ft).
Can you do roundtrip from different airports? Yes. If you depart from one airport but return to another, or fly to one airport and return from another, this is called an open-jaw flight.
Method 1 is better if you only file with a call sign on some flights, or file using different call signs, and Method 2 is better if you always file with the same call sign for a given aircraft.
This does not mean you cannot file IFR to such an airport, but there are some restrictions. First, any time you file IFR to an airport without a published approach, you must file an alternate, no matter how good the weather is forecast to be at the planned destination.