Approach Minimums

[Hugh Johnson]

Some intersting discussions about this subject at my place lately. I'd love to hear thoughts from others

On a recent flight w/ my boss, wx was 200/1. Only a non precis avail and mins were 400/1. He says vis is the only min that matters and that we can shoot the approach to 400 to see if we break out. I had always been of the mindset that if the wx reported is below mins I couldnt begin the approach.....

Digging into the FARs but meanwhile.....

What does your company allow?

You have a 757 Type Rating and you don't know visibility is controlling?

 

[patq1]

As previously pointed out, under 135/121, you need only have the visibility reported. Under pt 91 you can proceed with approach with neither. That being said, I won't bother with the approach unless I have a reasonable expectation of being able to land. In the situation described I would not make the approach. I would either hold if I thought it was going to change or I would go elsewhere. That is just my personal policy. I did my share of low approaches when I was flying cargo. I have gotten older and more conservative.

 

[cjdriver]

You have a 757 Type Rating and you don't know visibility is controlling?

Yeah, this is BS...

 

[LJ45]

remember folks broken is a ceiling, and you can have a big hole in the ceiling between you and the runway. that is why we go by visibility.

 

[Bronco Buster]

Your military background is causing the confusion. In the Air Force we were controlled by both the ceiling and visibility. In the civilian world basically vis is all that counts though that ceiling height gives you a clue as to your odds of actually seeing the approach lights or runway environment when you hit mins.

 

[airgator]

Exactly what Bronco says. Strictly Civ guys don't understand the whole military ceiling and vis way were were trained. I was confused at first also when I made the switch to 121.

 

[semperfido]

P91 ops, you are always allowed(unless you have a more restrictive Company policy) to shoot the approach to minimums. If you see it, land. That's it.

 

[jet2work]

On the right side of this page is an advertisement for a book called "Everything Explained for the Professional Pilot."

It is written by a pilot, and it covers just about every topic in the appropriate detail, and gives you great cross reference. It was not written by a lawyer. Really, this book brings together the FARS and AIM and explains the differences between 91, 121, and 135.

The book is under $60.00 and is money well spent. I don't know if the book has been revised lately or not, but even so, it clearly explains all of the areas where pilots continually confuse themselves (or rather, let themselves be confused by the FAA's lawyers).

If you don't see the link, here is a link to one of the chapters to give you a feel for the book.

http://www.aviation-press.com/images/chapter7.pdf

 

[G4G5]

Your boss is correct unless u r in the UK

 

[CA1900]

Please add some space in your A/C flown list, G4G5. You're messing up the formatting for the whole page. Thanks.