Completing the Non-precision approach as a Visual Approach

I thought the whole reason for a steep-as-reasonable descent profile during
a non-precision approach was so that if the airport/runway environment is in
sight before the MAP, you can take advantage of it and land. If you are
forced to fly not a foot lower to the missed, then therefore you can not
take advantage of the early sighting of the airport. In other words, after
arriving at the MDA and you have the runway environment in sight AND you see
you're about to enter the cloud bases again, then you therefore "must" enter
the cloud bases because you're not at the MAP yet? Then the only way to
descend is to request and get cleared for a Contact Approach?

I may be misunderstanding the situation but that's how I read your
explanation. It would seem to me that Contact Approaches would be much more
common than they are and I'd read about them more often in the various IFR
mags that I read.

Regards,

Marco


"Bob Gardner" wrote in message
news:bphub.176041$9E1.917544@attbi_s52...
When you are cleared for the VOR-A you are expected to fly the
profile....fly at the MDA and not a foot lower to the missed approach
point
or until you see the runway environment as defined in 91.175. When you see
the airport, you should real quick ask for a contact approach...then you
can
follow ground reference and altitude is not a factor.

Bob Gardner

"John Clonts" wrote in message
.. .
I'm inbound on the final approach segment of the VOR-A approach at T82
(Fredericksburg Texas):

http://www.myairplane.com/databases/.../T82_vd_gA.pdf

At about 3 miles east of the airport I'm at the MDA of 2460 MSL ("766
AGL"),
mostly in a 700 foot overcast. Through a break in the clouds I clearly
see
the airport-- the visibility is about 7 miles.

I descend 166 feet and am able to remain just under the cloud deck for
the
final three miles, fly the right hand pattern for runway 14 at 600 AGL,
and
land.

Was my descent to about 600 AGL (a) illegal because of 91.175c and/or
some
other FAR, or (b) legal because I have now in effect "converted" to a
visual
approach and/or am now in uncontrolled airspace (1 mile vis and clear
of
clouds).

Mind you I'm not saying I did this last Tuesday, but I might have
thought
about it if the conditions had been just so.

Cheers,
John Clonts
Temple, Texas
N7NZ







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