On Tue, 18 Jan 2005 13:49:20 +0000 (UTC),
(Paul Tomblin) wrote:

In a previous article, said:
(a) Instrument approaches to civil airports.

Unless otherwise authorized by the Administrator, when an instrument
letdown to a civil airport is necessary, each person operating an
aircraft, except a military aircraft of the United States, shall use a
standard instrument approach procedure prescribed for the airport in
part 97 of this chapter.

If you can see the runway and can land without violating VFR cloud
separation rules, then the instrument letdown is no longer necessary, so
this clause shouldn't apply, right?



Then, there's this language about maintaining altitude on an approach
until established on a segment, and throughout all segments:

(i) Operations on unpublished routes and use of radar in instrument
approach procedures. When radar is approved at certain locations for
ATC purposes, it may be used not only for surveillance and precision
radar approaches, as applicable, but also may be used in conjunction
with instrument approach procedures predicated on other types of radio
navigational aids. Radar vectors may be authorized to provide course
guidance through the segments of an approach to the final course or
fix. When operating on an unpublished route or while being radar
vectored, the pilot, when an approach clearance is received, shall, in
addition to complying with §91.177, maintain the last altitude
assigned to that pilot until the aircraft is established on a segment
of a published route or instrument approach procedure unless a
different altitude is assigned by ATC. After the aircraft is so
established, published altitudes apply to descent within each
succeeding route or approach segment unless a different altitude is
assigned by ATC. Upon reaching the final approach course or fix, the
pilot may either complete the instrument approach in accordance with a
procedure approved for the facility or continue a surveillance or
precision radar approach to a landing.