Contact Approach -- WX reporting

wrote:

I didn't ask about flight visibility. The rules clearly state that ATC
can only authorize a contact approach if GROUND visibility is reported
to be at least one statute mile.

So, let me ask again. Can you report GROUND visibility from thousands
of feet above the airport?


No.



How about if you're still 10 miles out?


No.



And, further, is that report something a pilot can do anyway, or does
it have to be an official weather report?


It has to be an official weather report.

Steven P. McNicoll wrote:
SVFR is
also not available at airports outside of a surface area, but neither
is a contact approach. Surface areas and contact approaches both
require weather observations.

A surface area isn't necessary for a contact approach.

Ron Natalie wrote:

A surface area isn't necessary for a contact approach.


I didn't say it was.

Jim Macklin wrote:

Gee, there sure are a lot of contact approaches made to
airports.


It would do you well to actually read what you copy and paste.

Steven P. McNicoll wrote:
Ron Natalie wrote:
A surface area isn't necessary for a contact approach.


I didn't say it was.

You said:

SVFR is also not available at airports outside of a surface area, but
neither is a contact approach.

The "but neither is a contact approach" seems to imply that.

Steven P. McNicoll wrote:

I didn't say it was.


Upon further review, I did misspeak. I wrote, "SVFR is also not
available at airports outside of a surface area, but neither is a
contact approach. Surface areas and contact approaches both require
weather observations." If you're approaching an airport where SVFR is
not available it's probably because it's outside of a surface area. I
see no advantage then in picking up an IFR clearance in order to
request a contact approach as the minimums for a contact approach are
the same as VFR in Class G airspace.

Ron Natalie wrote:

You said:

SVFR is also not available at airports outside of a surface area, but
neither is a contact approach.

The "but neither is a contact approach" seems to imply that.


You're right. I was apparently writing my followup as you were writing
what's above.

Good point... Most of the approaches I fly do not involve vectoring
close to the airport before going back out and coming in again, so I
did not think of this.

--Dan


Steven P. McNicoll wrote:
Dan wrote:

Since a contact approach requires the airport to have an IFR approach,
I fail to see the advantage of a contact approach. If visibility is at
1 mile, I think I would rather just fly the approach than pick around
for the airport in those conditions - too risky. Where is the
advantage? Following other traffic visually?


Suppose you're abeam the runway while being vectored for an IFR
approach when you sight the field. The current weather observation is
below VFR minimums so a visual approach is not available. Would a
contact approach present an advantage in that situation?

Jim Macklin wrote:
A visual approach may be instigated by the controller if the
weather is good VFR.

What is good VFR?

Just VFR?

I thought MVFR or better was required for PIC request?

Is that the requirement for ATC to assign? That is to say they won't
assign in MVFR?

Thanks,
ak.

wrote:
Newps wrote:

So you're saying that the controllers are the weather observers there?
That would put it in a gray area. The book states that weather must be
available. If you received the clearance before the tower closed that
would be OK.


Yes the controllers are the weather observers. Why does that make it a
gray area?

It's gray because of the weather reporting requirement. At some point
the last weather becomes too old. I'm not sure if that automatically
happens at the time the next sequence is supposed to come out.


Or the controller wasn't fresh on contact approaches, since
I think its used relatively rarely around here.

Depends on the weather that normally happens around there. I've been
here at BIL for 14 years. Until last Wednesday night I had given maybe
three contact approach clearances. Last Wednesday night/Thursday
morning on the mid, about 4:00 am I gave two to two aircraft in a row,
about 8 miles apart. Probably won't give another one before I retire.



By the way, this is a
small satellite airport under Class B and C airspace, if that makes a
difference.

Nope.