Which of the following describes the due regard requirements?

• A. VMC only.
• B. VMC; Must provide own separation; Outside controlled airspace; Must have ability to talk to ground facility
• C. Must have a filed flight plan with ATC.
• D. Must be inside controlled airspace.

Answer: (B)

Due regard means you must see and avoid other air traffic and provide your own separation rather than relying on ATC to separate you. To do that safely, you operate in Visual Meteorological Conditions so you can maintain a clear line of sight to other aircraft. You also must be responsible for maintaining separation yourself, which means you’re not counting on ATC to keep you apart. Because you’re not under ATC control, you operate outside controlled airspace, and you need a means to coordinate with a ground facility to share position and intent when needed. This combination captures how due regard is typically applied: visual conditions, self-separation, outside controlled airspace, and two-way communication with a ground facility. The other options either omit one of these elements, or impose conditions (like filing a flight plan or being inside controlled airspace) that aren’t inherent to due regard.