Minimum Approaches

alphaone

alphaone

Well-Known Member
Since I've started reading my IFR books and studying, I was curious about the whole concept of shooting an approach at minimums. Well moreover, does anyone have any cool stories about shooting approach's in low visibility weather and finally what are some notorious (grammer goon squad's gonna get me on that one I'm sure) airports for really low visibility approaches?
 
alphaone said:
finally what are some notorious (grammer goon squad's gonna get me on that one I'm sure) airports for really low visibility approaches?
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Well, all of Southeast during the winter season. In fact visibility is usually so low Haines only gets flights once a week, which really sucks during Christmas time:p .
 
I'm sure the freight pilots will have more amazing stories, but I'll tell you about my first approach to minimums. It was an ILS into my home airport. It's still fresh in my head, because it happened just last week. It was the first approach I've shot where I actually expected to go missed.

The METAR at the time reported 1/4 mile vis, freezing fog, vertical visibility 100 feet. That's about as bad as I've seen in a while. The top of the fog layer was at about 700 AGL, with clear skies above. It was night, about 45 minutes after sunset.

I was flying with an instrument rated pilot next to me. Even though he's a fairly new instrument pilot and didn't have any experience shooting an approach to minimums, having him there as a backup made me feel slightly more confident. I don't know much about working as a two pilot crew, but I asked him to call out any localizer/glideslope deviations of more than two dots, as well as 500 and 100 feet to minimums, then "lights in sight" or "lights not in sight" at minimums. I figured those were the basics that would keep us alive if I turned out rustier than I thought.

In VFR conditions I got established, trimmed out, power set, everything configured for landing. I didn't know the best way to configure the lights, so I shut off everything except the wingtip nav lights. No wingtip strobes or landing light. It turns out this is the best way to do it, but at the time I was just guessing.

Just after entering the clouds it was 500 feet to minimums. I kept coming down and at 100 feet to minimums I started seeing the flash of the MALSR strobes out the window. Not the actual lights though, just indistinct flashes through the fog. As I reached minimums I said, "Do you have the lights?" and the other pilot said, "No, nothing." Then I looked up for myself and saw one of the horizontal MALSR bars through the fog. I banked to the left to get onto centerline and kept descending. A second later I saw three of the MALSR bars, then the threshold lights, then one pair of runway edge lights.

I banked back to the right because I had overshot the centerline. As I got close to the runway I started to pull the throttle to idle and flare. It was a strange feeling. I don't even like driving a car in that kind of visibility, but there I was, landing a plane in it. Before I knew it I was rolling to a stop and taking the turnoff that is 3500 feet down the runway.

Driving home from the airport that night, I kept replaying every detail in my mind. It all happened so fast, but I could remember every detail, including every mistake I made. Here are some of the points I thought about:

--It would be nice to be trained on using lights during approaches in various situations. If I was trained on a specific way to configure the lights, I don't remember it. I ended up making an educated guess on the best way to do it. Are educated guesses a good thing when doing something for the first time? I don't think so.

--For some reason, "500 feet to minimums" and "100 feet" didn't mean anything to me when I was actually in the clouds. When I shoot VFR practice approaches I think, "I'm really close to the ground right now" but in actual, they became arbitrary numbers. Nothing more than a rule to follow. And that's on an approach I teach to instrument students several times per week. I finally saw how descending below minimums can happen at an unfamiliar airport if the pilot doesn't make standard callouts.

--I briefed the other pilot on calling out the lights. He said they weren't in sight. Then I looked up and continued. That negated the whole point of the other pilot! What was I thinking? It would have been safer to go missed.

--I had always heard of how pilots can become disoriented and pile in a plane short of the runway coming in on an ILS. I intellectually knew that fact, but I never actually knew how it could happen until this approach. When I saw the one MALSR bar, pitched down, and banked to the left, I began to feel disoriented. When it's dark, minimum visibility, with no horizon, it's very disorienting to see just one light moving around in the windshield. There is nothing to compare it to. It looks like it's just floating in front of you.

--At minimums, everything happened WAY faster than I expected. Minimums...lights in sight...continue down another 100 feet...runway in sight...touchdown...I reacted based on training, not some super pilot skills of mine. Did I actually verify that I was only going down another 100 feet when I saw the lights? Was I ready to go missed? Honestly, no. I saw a light and was like, "Hey, I'm diving in and landing now." I got by with it, but I didn't feel very professional about it afterwards.

In general, it was a very exhilerating, yet very humbling experience. I can't wait to fly freight in the winter now. At the same time, it reminded me of just how much I have to learn. You can shoot approaches under the hood all day...you can even teach those approaches all day...but doing it in actual is a whole new game.
 
Good Post JRH! Felt like I flying the approach with you.

I've been an instument pilot for going on 8 years now and a CFII for about 8 months and I've yet to shoot an approach to actual minimums on an ILS.

Been to minimums on a VOR-A approach. Don't think it's the same though. We broke out of the clouds at 500 FT AGL (Mins were in the order of 430 or so, don't have me chart on me) and we were still about 1/2 mile before the missed point. It pays to get down to the next altitude well before the next segment on a non precision approach, because when you break out you have to get oriented (especially on a VOR/GPS A type approach, know the airport diagram so you can start looking for the field). In our case it was to my home airport, so when I broke out I knew where I was, located the airport and maneuvered for a landing...

Like JRH said, its an education shooting to mins. A fun education, but none the less, an education!
 
I tell you what, I'm not instrument rated yet -- give me time -- but there are some approaches that scare the crap out of me when I've got the foggles on. I've flipped off the foggles at the MAP and yeah, I've got the runway in sight, but I'm like, uh, if I had to manuever to land here in IMC, at mins, I think this plane would be painted in UPS colors real quick.

Or, sometimes, at the MAP, even in VMC, I'm like, where the bleep is the airport.:)
 
Pensacola is pretty bad in the early morning. I went in there a couple of weeks ago on the ILS and 200 feet above minimums we still weren't in the clouds yet. We're flying down the GS and you look to your left and right and see smokestacks sticking through the clouds! It was as low as you can legally get! (that's my story and I'm stickin' to it!)
 
I've shot many approaches to minimums. One actually my last trip, where we got "approaching minimums", called the approach lights, then got the runway right at minimums or just below (can go down to 100' TDZE after getting the approach lights). It was 3000 RVR with +SN and BLSN in Syracuse, NY. Winds 15G20. We had to stop on a taxiway on the way back out because our visibility went to zero in a big wind gust blowing snow across the taxiway.

Shot a non-precision LOC only approach into Dayton one night. Unknown to us at the time (couldn't see it), we picked up severe clear ice in severe turbulence on the approach. 600 OVC 2 sm vis reported, and MDA was around 550 or something.

Shot an ILS to minimums at MDW on evening in a snowstorm. Broke out of the clouds at 300 ft, crossed the fence seconds later, and landed on a completely white runway. Had the same happen during a freak snowstorm in Flint, MI. Approach called visibility 5/8 when we commenced the approach, and 1/4 sm when we had just passed the FAF. Broke out with the approach lights, then the runway just below 200 feet. Could only see white and runway lights, so I just put it evenly between the lights.

Probably will be seeing more of this as the winter continues. Especially since we are going to St. Johns NFD tomorrow.
 
In almost 30 years of IFR operations the thing that has struck me is how seldom I've had to shoot precision approaches to minimums. I've spent over 10 years with CAT III certification and have never shot an actual approach to those minimums.

But the memorable approaches are without a doubt the non-precision ones. My most memorable has to be the LDA approach to DCA with a breakout at minimums at night. Another exciting one was Guatemala City landing south. Weather was often near minimums with variable clouds and you broke out over the city, trying to sort out the non-standard runway lights from all the others. A miniature version of the Eiffel tower, brightly lit, would pass just off to your left seemingly at your altitude. If you didn't see that you knew something was not right. Missed that approach more than once.
 
alphaone said:
Well moreover, does anyone have any cool stories about shooting approach's in low visibility weather
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The airport I used to fly out of didn't have an instrument approach (great place for a freight operation, right?) When the weather was low but not *too* low, standard practice was to shoot a VOR or GPS approach to a neigboring airport, to get down to MDA and into Class G airspace. Then cancel IFR, break off the approach and go tooling along at MDA for 10nm or so over to our little 2900' long runway surrounded by trees. It could get pretty hairy when the wx was 800' ceiling/2sm in snow... or at night, although then our "mins" were 1000'/3sm.

I could probably come up with a few other cool stories, but first I would need your definition of "cool." :) A couple of them might also require some coaxing with alcohol to be told. Just kidding, of course.

Like Flyover said, the non-precision ones with multiple stepdowns to mins are always fun and challanging.
 
I've done 3 Cat III's to 600RVR. This is an automated approach...so you're basically just monitoring the automation the entire time. Basically...the nose is so high up in the air...that you literally see the centerline lights...feel the mains bump...then watch the nose lower. Then the really tough part is finding the correct taxiway off the runway and finding your way to the gate.

KSAN has fairly high ILS miminums....something like 300 and 3/4 or something. I remember one day flying the ILS approach with a thick ground fog layer...severe clear above. Arrived at the DH in clear skies still above the fog. Somehow the visibility was fairly decent at 3/4 mi but the tops were real real low. Held for an hour...got in the second time.

In another ground fog situation...to KGRB it was severe clear outside...flew the ILS approach to 36 and had the runway clearly insight on ten mile final. All of a sudden in the flare...the last 10 feet or so...zero visibility...couldn't see anything. You could see right thru the layer from the cockpit looking down at fifty feet...but horizontally it was nil. The next sequence report called it 1/16th mi vis. A great example of how flight vis can differ from ground vis. Haven't encountered anything like that since.

I would say the Great Lakes region in the winter time has some real persistant low IFR. Some of the worst icing I've encountered to boot. Seems like every couple of weeks there a deep low that moves through and stalls out leaving hundreds of miles of low clouds and vis. It wasn't all that uncommon to have to search real hard to find a suitable takeoff alternate (1 hour flying time in still air).
 
I'll probly be able to let you know about some after tonight :D

Columbus is forcasting 1/2sm sn VV002
 
averyrm said:
I'll probly be able to let you know about some after tonight :D

Columbus is forcasting 1/2sm sn VV002
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Be careful out there. If you're flying cancelled checks in a Baron, like I think you are, that's about as hardcore as it gets. I've been there...have yet to do anything else in aviation as tough as the light twin night freight biz. Also haven't been as sharp a stick as those days either.
 
B767Driver said:
In another ground fog situation...to KGRB it was severe clear outside...flew the ILS approach to 36 and had the runway clearly insight on ten mile final. All of a sudden in the flare...the last 10 feet or so...zero visibility...couldn't see anything. You could see right thru the layer from the cockpit looking down at fifty feet...but horizontally it was nil. The next sequence report called it 1/16th mi vis. A great example of how flight vis can differ from ground vis. Haven't encountered anything like that since.
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We encountered that one night in Quebec. They were calling an RVR (don't remember, it was low, like 2400 or something), but yet at 15 miles out we saw the runway. They didn't really go into detail about the weather, they just said the tower visibility was greater than 15 miles, so we figured sensor error. Get down into the flare, at about 30 feet, and everything disappeared. Eerie for sure. We weren't high enough in the cockpit to see above it though, so we had to taxi very slowly to clear and arrive at the gate.

I still say (didn't put it in the post above) that the most exciting approach I've done was a CAT II ILS to 1200 RVR (mins) in Newark one morning. Nothing like breaking out at around 100 feet to see the runway coming up. Couldn't imagine 600 RVR.
 
I've had some great experience going down to minimums, but I won't bore you guys with all the details. As a pilot and an instructor, I've experienced it many times in the San Diego area. My favorite place to shoot an ILS is Montgomery 'cause you get some nice approach lights and you usually go down to 200' AGL before you see the lights (at least in my case). The marine layer down there is awesome, unless you're a VFR pilot, haha.... last time I went I heard a South West 737 go missed...... *sigh* i miss flying IFR
 
B767Driver said:
...have yet to do anything else in aviation as tough as the light twin night freight biz. Also haven't been as sharp a stick as those days either.
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Know that feeling. While it would be nice to be that sharp again I would pass on the 100 hour months, single pilot, no autopilot etc. etc. Just try to make up for the fading skills by not being as hungover as I was back then.
 
flyover said:
Know that feeling. While it would be nice to be that sharp again I would pass on the 100 hour months, single pilot, no autopilot etc. etc. Just try to make up for the fading skills by not being as hungover as I was back then.
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I'm with ya there brother. I found religion while doing that stuff.
 
A year ago or so, I shot an ILS into UKF (North Wilkesboro, NC). UKF is surrounded by rising terrain in every quadrant. I was single pilot in a King Air C90. Shot the approach on A/P, but when it came time for minimums, nothing. Caught a glimpse of the rabbit and proceeded down another 100 feet. The thing that is so difficult to get across is once below about 500 AGL, things happen so quickly. Down to about 150 AGL and spotted the runway. The Wx was right at minimums. ATL Center asked me for report when I was canceling IFR and I just said "minimums". An MU-2 on the ILS as I was shutting down went missed.

Many other folks have commented about this too, but once you are in the car, in those moments of quiet solitude, you ask yourself was I really prepared for that? You can shoot as many approaches under the hood as you want, nothing prepares you for ILS to minimums in a high performance airplane except actually doing it.
 
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