Canceling IFR to avoid weather
 

So we are level at 7000' on a right downwind with another airplane on a left downwind. We are number two to land with the field in sight (clear weather below 6500'). Ask ATC for lower since we are right at the bases of some cumulonimbus summer pop ups. He says he can't give lower due to ifr terrain off our left side which we see. Can you cancel IFR at this point and descend to avoid the bottoms of the clouds?

Thanks for any tips.

I believe the magic words are "We will maintain our own terrain and obstruction clearance".

The best option, however, may simply be a vector so you can get lower.

... and cloud clearance.

Being "right at the bases of" some clouds does not meet that criteria, does it?






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Canceling IFR to avoid weather
 

Only if VFR...

If he is able to maintain his own terrain and obstruction clearance (which requires visual contact with terrain) he should (in theory, anyway) be able to maintain IFR while flying at a lower altitude... making VFR cloud clearances moot.

He asked if he could cancel IFR ...






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Yes, and I offered him a potential option which would allow him to descend yet remain IFR.

I purposefully failed to mention the option of a contact approach because then the forumverse would just explode in confusion...

You think the controller will vector him below the min vectoring altitude?






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Probably not, but if the pilot asks for, and the controller issues a contact approach, then the controller is basically off the hook and the pilot takes over those responsibilities while remaining on an IFR clearance. That is the beauty of a contact approach.

Joe, as mentioned a couple of times, you could ask for a contact approach and descend to VFR conditions, basically 500 feet below the clouds THEN cancel IFR and go VFR. But you will probably still have to be vectored for sequencing.

RE: Contact Approach
 

Aeronautical Information Manual:

5−5−3. Contact Approach
From the description in the original post, the pilot is not clear of clouds (level at 7,000' with clear below 6,500'), and that's why he's trying to get lower.






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