The mountain was stated to be "nearby".

Like many terms used by the FAA, "nearby" was undefined. I intended it
to be interpreted as near enough so that lateral differences in the
airmass would not be a significant factor, but not so nearby that
collision avoidance becomes dicey, or the ILS takes you underground.
And yes, I know of no ILS installations that actually would take you
underground if flown correctly.

It is possible that critera such as the above are unattainable, for
example the classic security dilemma we face after 9/11 ("greater than
six but less than four"). However in the case above ("nearby") I
believe that there does exist a range of distance that satisfies the
criteria. To pull a number out of the hat, ten miles laterally comes to
mind.

Yes, but we're discussing this in rec.aviation.ifr.

The forum in which we discuss something does not alter its truth value.
And IFR can be in VMC.

Jose
--
Get high on gasoline: fly an airplane.
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