FAA Ground School Practice Test

Which VFR cruising altitude is acceptable for a flight on a Victor Airway with a magnetic course of 175°?

1. 4500 ft

2. 5500 ft

3. 6500 ft

4. 3500 ft

The correct answer is: 5500 ft

When determining the appropriate VFR cruising altitude for a flight on a Victor Airway, one must consider the magnetic course of the flight. For VFR operations, the FAA has established specific altitude rules based on the direction of flight. For a flight on a course between 180° and 359° (which includes the magnetic course of 175°), VFR pilots are required to fly at odd thousand foot altitudes plus 500 feet. This means the acceptable VFR cruising altitudes for a course in this range would be 3500 feet, 5500 feet, 7500 feet, and so on. Since 5500 feet meets this requirement as it is an odd thousand foot altitude plus 500 feet, this altitude is correct for a flight on a Victor Airway with a magnetic course of 175°. Thus, choosing 5500 feet aligns with FAA regulations for VFR flight in this scenario, providing a safe and legal cruising altitude while ensuring adequate vertical separation from traffic flying at lower altitudes.