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3 Answers

Do you have to follow IFR even and odd altitudes under 3000′ agl?

Asked by: 3177 views Airspace, FAA Regulations, Instrument Rating

Are pilots required to follow the even and odd altitudes for IFR flight under 3000' agl or are you able to choose any altitude under 3000' agl like you would under VFR?

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3 Answers



  1. Mark Kolber on Jan 12, 2022

    The IFR hemispheric rule only applies to pilots flying IFR in uncontrolled airspace. The regulation says so. That’s next to nowhere in the lower 48 above 1200 AGL. In Class E or higher, you fly whatever altitude ATC tells you to.

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  2. Bryan on Jan 12, 2022

    Mark is on point. Don’t get confused with AGL because it’s irrelevant to your question. There are (a lot of) places where controlled airspace goes all the way to the ground (B, C, D, and E).

    The only exceptions are (1) holding pattern less than 2 minutes, (2) turning, or (3) VFR on top –which puts your altitude under 91.159…which does bring in the 3,000 AGL and odd for east, even for west +500 altitudes. But even that technically falls under “altitude assigned by ATC.” So, what Mark said. =)

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  3. John D Collins on Jan 13, 2022

    There are no “wrong way” altitudes for IFR in controlled airspace. ATC normally uses the convention of odd for east and even for west, but are free to assign any altitude. 2300 feet is the MVA near my home airport and it is not uncommon to have it assigned for short flights. I have no issue filing 4000 when going to the east coast, which I might do if it keeps me out of icing rather than 5000. In Florida and other areas, the directions of many of the airways run north south, so ATC assigns altitudes that routinely don’t follow the hemispheric rule. For IFR, you can request any altitude, file any altitude, be assigned any altitude, even though the hemispheric rule is the most common altitude assignment.

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