I'm not afraid of heights, I'm afraid of widths.
Another reason to have personal minimums, and how to push them.
- Thread starter Jereme Carne
- Start date
Stephen Shore
Pre-takeoff checklist
I don't have any problem flying an APPROACH to minimums, but I do have higher personal minimum for DEPARTURE. Big difference in risk in a SEL airplane between landing in low ceilings versus taking off in low ceilings. As IR pilots we always talk about flying approaches, but if you are on an approach locked in to your instruments, you are way ahead the risk factor of taking off with a 200' AGL ceiling.
I like to limit my departures to 800' ceilings and I will even wait for higher if it looks like doing so will get me to 1,000' in a reasonable time. Part 91 means we can take off in zero zero conditions but I doubt many of us do that other than the obligatory takeoff with foggles back when we got our instruction.
I like to limit my departures to 800' ceilings and I will even wait for higher if it looks like doing so will get me to 1,000' in a reasonable time. Part 91 means we can take off in zero zero conditions but I doubt many of us do that other than the obligatory takeoff with foggles back when we got our instruction.
drummer4468
Pre-takeoff checklist
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drummer4468
I view it the same way I view fuel planning. My mins are to plan to land with at least an hour in the tanks when VFR. Sure, I know I can go lower, but (regulations aside) I’m not gonna PLAN land on fumes. If SHTF and the plan gets blown, I’m painted well into a corner.
Same applies for IFR mins. Yeah the ILS will get you down to 200 and 1/2. And that’s what we train to. BUT…METARS lie and TAFs don’t tell the truth. So when you plan to do an approach to mins, especially if your alternate is also brushing mins, what happens when wx deteriorates further than expected?
Not to mention, from a human factors standpoint 200agl is extremely close to the earth to be doing anything you’re uncomfortable or unconfident with. We as pilots need to, first and foremost, know how to be honest with ourselves and our proficiency level. Descending through clouds is no place to “fake it till you make it”.
Same applies for IFR mins. Yeah the ILS will get you down to 200 and 1/2. And that’s what we train to. BUT…METARS lie and TAFs don’t tell the truth. So when you plan to do an approach to mins, especially if your alternate is also brushing mins, what happens when wx deteriorates further than expected?
Not to mention, from a human factors standpoint 200agl is extremely close to the earth to be doing anything you’re uncomfortable or unconfident with. We as pilots need to, first and foremost, know how to be honest with ourselves and our proficiency level. Descending through clouds is no place to “fake it till you make it”.