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Old March 26th 07, 03:58 AM posted to rec.aviation.piloting,alt.disasters.aviation,alt.usenet.kooks,alt.religion.asatru
Mxsmanic
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Posts: 9,169
Default Primary training in a Hi Perf complex acft

Brian writes:

Since you know it is so easy here are a couple things you should be
able to answer

1. What is the difference between a CAT II approach and a CAT III?


Just minimums and stuff; the differences are regulatory. You can use just
about any ILS for either category, but technically your supposed to have the
approach certified for a maximum category.

In the context I was discussing, though, a non-pilot takes control in an
emergency. In an emergency, you can configure autoland for any ILS approach,
whether it is certified as IIIc or not (I'm not aware of any differences in
the actual ILS hardware from one category to another). So you could do an
autoland anywhere with an ILS runway, even though it would be preferable to
find a IIIc runway.

2. How many airports have CAT III approaches?


I haven't counted them. Airports in areas with frequently poor visibility
seem to have them often enough, as do many large airports. Thus, you see
several CAT III approaches at KSEA or EGLL, with their miserable weather, but
not at KPHX, where mist and fog are almost unknown.

Anyway, the formal distinctions aren't important in an emergency. Even if you
have an approach that isn't certified for autoland, you're still better off
autolanding if you don't have a type-certified pilot in the aircraft.

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