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When CAVOK appears in a METAR or TAF, what are the minimum conditions it certifies are present?

  • A

    Visibility 10 km or more and no cloud below 5000 ft

  • B

    Visibility 5 km or more and no cloud below 3000 ft

  • C

    Visibility 10 km or more and no cloud below the highest minimum sector altitude

  • D

    Visibility 8 km or more and no significant weather in the vicinity of the aerodrome

CAVOK (Ceiling And Visibility OK) is a coded group used in METAR and TAF reports to replace the visibility, weather, and cloud groups when specific conditions are simultaneously met.

The three conditions that must all be met for CAVOK to be reported are: 

  • Visibility 10 km or more
  • No cloud below 5000 ft or below the highest Minimum Sector Altitude (MSA) whichever is the greater
  • No cumulonimbus or towering cumulus at any level, and no significant weather phenomena at or in the vicinity of the aerodrome

The cloud condition is the most complex: the 5000 ft threshold is used in most cases, but if the highest MSA exceeds 5000 ft, then the cloud base must be above that higher value.

Visibility 10 km or more and no cloud below 5000 ft → CORRECT. This accurately captures the two primary CAVOK criteria that pilots most frequently need to remember: visibility at least 10 km and no cloud below 5000 ft (or the highest MSA if greater). No significant weather and no CB/TCU are also required, but the visibility and cloud criteria are the defining characteristics of CAVOK most tested in ATPL examinations.

Visibility 5 km or more and no cloud below 3000 ft → INCORRECT. These thresholds are significantly below the CAVOK criteria. CAVOK requires visibility of 10 km or more, not 5 km. The cloud threshold for CAVOK is 5000 ft, not 3000 ft.

Visibility 10 km or more and no cloud below the highest minimum sector altitude → INCORRECT. While the MSA comparison is part of the CAVOK definition, this option omits the primary threshold of 5000 ft. The correct rule is: no cloud below 5000 ft OR the highest MSA, whichever is GREATER. Stating only the MSA reference without the 5000 ft baseline is an incomplete and therefore incorrect definition.

Visibility 8 km or more and no significant weather in the vicinity → INCORRECT. The visibility threshold for CAVOK is 10 km, not 8 km. No significant weather is indeed a CAVOK criterion but without the correct visibility value and the cloud criteria this option is incomplete and based on an incorrect threshold.

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