zugzug said:
Sure, I was calling on all the smarts:nuts: that are on this board to see if someone could summon up an NTSB, FAA, or what-have-you that would give the final approach segement defined boundries. This is on the lines of, an uncontrolled airport without any FAF or inst. approach.
Oh. sorry, I thought you said Smart-a$$, and my ears perked right up :laugh:
Anyway, I've researched the issue before, and there is no definitive official answer. The issue came up in the context of: at what point does a right turn onto final become not a right hand pattern, but a straight in final. Like I said there is no definitive answer, but there was an case beforethe NTSB in which allegedly (according to John Yodice, AOPA's legal editor) the ALJ suggested the a turn to final 5-6 miles form the end of the runway would have been considered a "straight in" and not a right pattern. the airplane in question made a right turn onto final at 4 miles and that was found to be an illegal right pattern instead of a legal straight in approach.
I don't have the actual text of that NTSB decision but John Yodices words on the that issue may be seen in the Pilot Counsel column of the December 1995 AOPA pilot.
I don't know if any of that helps, but you may be looking for something which doesn't exist. Can you give us a little more information about why you are asking? that might help get a better answer ... I know there's a story behind this somewhere ..........