Personal Minimums SEL?

I'm curious what Instrument Rated members of this group use for
personal minimums for takeoff and landing for single engine aircraft.

Each case is different, so I don't set personal minimums. That's too
broad a stroke. While in theory this leaves me vulnerable to pushing
the limits because "I gotta get there", in reality I do not do that
(evidenced by tempting flights I've turned down) so I'm not concerned
about not being conservative enough.

I'd launch into fog where I could see blue, and I'd be on top in thirty
seconds. No problem. The chance of an engine failure at =just= the
wrong time is low enough that I accept it the way I accept other
inherent risks of flying. I'd be more concerned about widespread low
conditions at my destination - if the weather goes any lower and I can't
get in anywhere, that's a problem. So I want real alternates thoughout
the flight.

I'd do approaches to minimums. That's what my rating is for. However,
I'd want an alternative that is not to minimum within my gas range.

Jose
--
He who laughs, lasts.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

In article .com,
"paul kgyy" wrote:

I'm curious what Instrument Rated members of this group use for
personal minimums for takeoff and landing for single engine aircraft.

I use landing minimums for takeoff, especially with tops easily
in reach.


The question is prompted by a recent flight where the takeoff
conditions were 200 ft + 1 mile. That's lower than I've ever done
before, and it occurred to me that if I had any significant engine
problems, it was all over unless I was extremly lucky.

Given the probability of an engine failure, I don't sweat the
engine-out hazard that much.

--
Bob Noel
Looking for a sig the
lawyers will hate

My first several years of flying were in the military, when all we had
were Adcock range approaches and NDB (we called them ADF) approaches.
We did them to 200' and 1/4 mile. Sounds hard to believe today, but
we took it for granted.

So ILS mins of 200 and 1/2 seem quite reasonable.

vince norris

"vincent p. norris" wrote in message ...
My first several years of flying were in the military, when all we had
were Adcock range approaches and NDB (we called them ADF) approaches.
We did them to 200' and 1/4 mile. Sounds hard to believe today, but
we took it for granted.

So ILS mins of 200 and 1/2 seem quite reasonable.

vince norris

You had ADF? You lucky guy!
We had to find the cone of silence, turn to the appropriate heading,
and make a timed descent to visual contact with the airport.
I don't remember the minima, but I think they were higher than 200+1/4.

You had ADF? You lucky guy!
We had to find the cone of silence, turn to the appropriate heading,
and make a timed descent to visual contact with the airport.

IIRC, our ADF was useless when shooting an Adcock range approach,
which is what you seem to be talking about. We flew to the high cone,
did a procedure turn, descended and flew to the low cone, than, as you
say, took a heading to the airport.

ADF approaches had no "cones." As I recall, we often shot them using
commercial AM radio stations. Perhaps those were just practice
approaches, not actual approaches in IMC. It was half a century ago,
and I don't recall all the details perfectly.

I don't remember the minima, but I think they were higher than 200+1/4.

Ours were, of course, if the terrain required, but could be as low as
200 and a quarter.

vince norris

vincent p. norris wrote:
My first several years of flying were in the military, when all we had
were Adcock range approaches and NDB (we called them ADF) approaches.
We did them to 200' and 1/4 mile. Sounds hard to believe today, but
we took it for granted.

So ILS mins of 200 and 1/2 seem quite reasonable.

When students ask me what my personal mins are here in the fog, I used
to just tell them "2 dots". If at any point I get more than 2 dots off
the loc, I'll go missed, otherwise I'll follow it all the way to mins.
As a CFII I'm not really suppose to say that though

-Robert

When students ask me what my personal mins are here in the fog, I used
to just tell them "2 dots". If at any point I get more than 2 dots off
the loc, I'll go missed...

Sounds like prudent policy.

vince norris

vincent p. norris wrote:
My first several years of flying were in the military, when all we had
were Adcock range approaches and NDB (we called them ADF) approaches.
We did them to 200' and 1/4 mile. Sounds hard to believe today, but
we took it for granted.

Probably one of the differences back then vs now is that you probably
had at least one guy on the field that just went around and tuned up
ADF receivers. If you've been tuned in the last 30 days you could
probably get a good approach. Most ADF planes on the field now would be
lucky to get w/i 3 miles of the airport on the ADF today.

-Robert

-----Original Message-----
From: paul kgyy [mailto Posted At: Wednesday, January 17, 2007 9:12 AM
Posted To: rec.aviation.ifr
Conversation: Personal Minimums SEL?
Subject: Personal Minimums SEL?

I'm curious what Instrument Rated members of this group use for
personal minimums for takeoff and landing for single engine aircraft.

The question is prompted by a recent flight where the takeoff
conditions were 200 ft + 1 mile. That's lower than I've ever done
before, and it occurred to me that if I had any significant engine
problems, it was all over unless I was extremly lucky.

Since I fly to please myself now instead of some employer, and since
I've got a LOT greyer on the roof my personal minimums have definitely
changed. 35 years ago, I resented having to depart zero/zero because I
needed the job and there were too many unemployed pilots willing to take
it. I also only did that about a dozen times before I found a new
career. (That's why I can afford to fly now.)

Today, I like options. Published minimums make me sweat too much
(remember I'm older now) so I don't even like them for departures any
more. I personally don't care how many fans are turning because if
anything happens unexpectedly I don't want to have to work that hard to
save my butt.

I think I like published alternate minimums for departures with no
cumulo-granite in the vicinity. Of course departure and approach
minimums might have to get higher after an extended period of time away
from the clocks.

I'm sure others who fly every day and have a great personal intimacy
with their aircraft will depart in conditions in which I would prefer to
sit and drink coffee, but then I don't fly every day and I know from
experience that no matter how much of a first name basis you're on with
that fan up front - it will quit on you some day.

"paul kgyy" wrote in news:1169046707.212374.112150
@m58g2000cwm.googlegroups.com:

I'm curious what Instrument Rated members of this group use for
personal minimums for takeoff and landing for single engine aircraft.

ILS minimums for me.

Only thing is if I go out seeking ILS minimums, I must be prepared to not
come back to my airport, as GPS minimums apply.

Allen