Wx Mins for Accepting an Instrument Approach Clearance

[Flyprdu]

Ceiling is not a limiting factor. Visibility is. Visibility only must be at or above minimums prior to being established on the Final Approach Segment. Once on the FINAL APPROACH SEGMENT, weather can drop to 0/0 and you are still legal.

On a non-precision approach, the final approach segment is defined inside of the final approach fix. Final approach segment on a precision approach is defined by the altitude on the glideslope as depicted in bold where the glide slope feather ends. This is on the profile view of any Jepp plate.

Whew, my head hurts. Where's my beer?

 

[ASA_Aviator]

Not if you're on an arrival that joins the approach, such as the CIVET. You almost always fly the transition from the CIVET to your respective runway.

My answer would be, yes, you can continue all the way to the FAF. Just prior to reaching the FAF, you'll need to ask for the RVR, which needs to be above your mins before you may continue. RVR can fluctuate so much it may actually be above mins, especially with fog from a windy marine layer (which is what? Advection fog?)

I think the basic idea is that it isn't dangerous to fly an approach at initial approach altitude, no matter what the vis on the ground is. You are in the clouds already, after all.

It is dangerous, however, to shoot an approach past the FAF down to mins. By that I mean that if you cannot reasonably expect to be successful, it isn't worth the risk to get within 200 feet of the ground going 140 knots.