Federal Aviation Administration, DOT § 121.651

field elevation for 15 minutes upon VFR weather minimums of § 91.155 of reaching an ETOPS Alternate Airport this chapter apply at those locations. and then conduct an instrument ap- [Doc. No. 6258, 29 FR 19222, Dec. 31, 1964 as proach and land. amended by Amdt. 121–39, 33 FR 4097, Mar. 2, (3) Fuel to account for APU use. If an 1968; Amdt. 121–206, 54 FR 34331, Aug. 18, 1989; APU is a required power source, the Amdt. 121–226, 56 FR 65663, Dec. 17, 1991] certificate holder must account for its fuel consumption during the appro- § 121.651 and weather priate phases of flight. minimums: IFR: All certificate hold- ers. [Doc. No. FAA–2002–6717, 72 FR 1882, Jan. 16, 2007, as amended by Amdt. 121–348, 75 FR (a) Notwithstanding any clearance 12121, Mar. 15, 2010] from ATC, no pilot may begin a takeoff in an airplane under IFR when the § 121.647 Factors for computing fuel weather conditions reported by the required. U.S. National Weather Service, a Each person computing fuel required source approved by that Service, or a for the purposes of this subpart shall source approved by the Administrator, consider the following: are less than those specified in— (a) Wind and other weather condi- (1) The certificate holder’s operations tions forecast. specifications; or (b) Anticipated traffic delays. (2) Parts 91 and 97 of this chapter, if (c) One instrument approach and pos- the certificate holder’s operations sible missed approach at destination. specifications do not specify takeoff (d) Any other conditions that may minimums for the airport. delay landing of the aircraft. (b) Except as provided in paragraph For the purposes of this section, re- (d) of this section, no pilot may con- quired fuel is in addition to unusable tinue an approach past the final ap- fuel. proach fix, or where a final approach fix is not used, begin the final approach § 121.649 weather segment of an instrument approach minimums: VFR: Domestic oper- procedure— ations. (1) At any airport, unless the U.S. (a) Except as provided in paragraph National Weather Service, a source ap- (b) of this section, regardless of any proved by that Service, or a source ap- clearance from ATC, no pilot may proved by the Administrator, issues a takeoff or land an airplane under VFR weather report for that airport; and when the reported ceiling or visibility (2) At airports within the United is less than the following: States and its territories or at U.S. (1) For day operations—1,000-foot military airports, unless the latest ceiling and one-mile visibility. weather report for that airport issued (2) For night operations—1,000-foot by the U.S. National Weather Service, ceiling and two-mile visibility. a source approved by that Service, or a (b) Where a local surface restriction source approved by the Administrator, to visibility exists (e.g., smoke, dust, reports the visibility to be equal to or blowing snow or sand) the visibility for more than the visibility minimums day and night operations may be re- prescribed for that procedure. For the duced to 1⁄2 mile, if all turns after take- purpose of this section, the term ‘‘U.S. off and prior to landing, and all flight military airports’’ means airports in beyond one mile from the airport foreign countries where flight oper- boundary can be accomplished above or ations are under the control of U.S. outside the area of local surface visi- military authority. bility restriction. (c) If a pilot has begun the final ap- (c) The weather minimums in this proach segment of an instrument ap- section do not apply to the VFR oper- proach procedure in accordance with ation of fixed-wing aircraft at any of paragraph (b) of this section, and after the locations where the special weather that receives a later weather report in- minimums of § 91.157 of this chapter are dicating below-minimum conditions, not applicable (See part 91, appendix D, the pilot may continue the approach to section 3 of this chapter). The basic DA/DH or MDA. Upon reaching DA/DH

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or at MDA, and at any time before the an airport when the visibility is less missed approach point, the pilot may than the visibility minimums pre- continue the approach below DA/DH or scribed for that procedure if that air- MDA if either the requirements of port is served by an operative ILS and § 91.175(l) of this chapter, or the fol- an operative PAR, and both are used by lowing requirements are met: the pilot. However, no pilot may con- (1) The aircraft is continuously in a tinue an approach below the authorized position from which a to a DA/DH unless the requirements of landing on the intended runway can be § 91.175(l) of this chapter, or the fol- made at a normal rate of descent using lowing requirements are met: normal maneuvers, and where that de- (1) The aircraft is continuously in a scent rate will allow touchdown to position from which a descent to a occur within the touchdown zone of the landing on the intended runway can be runway of intended landing; made at a normal rate of descent using (2) The flight visibility is not less normal maneuvers and where such a than the visibility prescribed in the descent rate will allow touchdown to standard instrument approach proce- occur within the touchdown zone of the dure being used; runway of intended landing; (3) Except for Category II or Cat- (2) The flight visibility is not less egory III approaches where any nec- than the visibility prescribed in the essary visual reference requirements standard instrument approach proce- are specified by authorization of the dure being used; and Administrator, at least one of the fol- (3) Except for Category II or Cat- lowing visual references for the in- egory III approaches where any nec- tended runway is distinctly visible and essary visual reference requirements identifiable to the pilot: are specified by the authorization of (i) The approach light system, except the Administrator, at least one of the that the pilot may not descend below following visual references for the in- 100 feet above the touchdown zone ele- tended runway is distinctly visible and vation using the approach lights as a identifiable to the pilot: reference unless the red terminating (i) The approach light system, except bars or the red side row bars are also that the pilot may not descend below distinctly visible and identifiable. 100 feet above the touchdown zone ele- (ii) The threshold. vation using the approach lights as a (iii) The threshold markings. reference unless the red terminating (iv) The threshold lights. bars or the red side row bars are also (v) The runway end identifier lights. distinctly visible and identifiable. (vi) The visual approach slope indi- (ii) The threshold. cator. (iii) The threshold markings. (vii) The touchdown zone or touch- (iv) The threshold lights. down zone markings. (viii) The touchdown zone lights. (v) The runway end identifier lights. (ix) The runway or runway markings. (vi) The visual approach slope indi- (x) The runway lights; and cator. (4) When the aircraft is on a straight- (vii) The touchdown zone or touch- in nonprecision approach procedure down zone markings. which incorporates a visual descent (viii) The touchdown zone lights. point, the aircraft has reached the vis- (ix) The runway or runway markings. ual descent point, except where the air- (x) The runway lights. craft is not equipped for or capable of (e) For the purpose of this section, establishing that point, or a descent to the final approach segment begins at the runway cannot be made using nor- the final approach fix or facility pre- mal procedures or rates of descent if scribed in the instrument approach descent is delayed until reaching that procedure. When a final approach fix is point. not prescribed for a procedure that in- (d) A pilot may begin the final ap- cludes a procedure turn, the final ap- proach segment of an instrument ap- proach segment begins at the point proach procedure other than a Cat- where the procedure turn is completed egory II or Category III procedure at and the aircraft is established inbound

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toward the airport on the final ap- that paragraph in the type of airplane proach course within the distance pre- he is operating. scribed in the procedure. [Doc. No. 7594, 33 FR 10843, July 31, 1968, as (f) Unless otherwise authorized in the amended by Amdt. 121–143, 43 FR 22642, May certificate holder’s operations speci- 25, 1978; Amdt. 121–253, 61 FR 2615, Jan. 26, fications, each pilot making an IFR 1996; Amdt. 121–333, 72 FR 31682, June 7, 2007] takeoff, approach, or landing at a for- eign airport shall comply with the ap- § 121.653 [Reserved] plicable instrument approach proce- dures and weather minimums pre- § 121.655 Applicability of reported scribed by the authority having juris- weather minimums. diction over the airport. In conducting operations under §§ 121.649 through 121.653, the ceiling [Doc. No. 20060, 46 FR 2291, Jan. 8, 1981, as amended by Amdt. 121–303, 69 FR 1641, Jan. 9, and visibility values in the main body 2004; Amdt. 121–333, 72 FR 31682, June 7, 2007] of the latest weather report control for VFR and IFR takeoffs and and § 121.652 Landing weather minimums: for instrument approach procedures on IFR: All certificate holders. all runways of an airport. However, if (a) If the pilot in command of an air- the latest weather report, including an plane has not served 100 hours as pilot oral report from the control tower, in command in operations under this contains a visibility value specified as part in the type of airplane he is oper- runway visibility or runway visual ating, the MDA or DA/DH and visi- range for a particular runway of an air- bility landing minimums in the certifi- port, that specified value controls for cate holder’s operations specification VFR and IFR landings and takeoffs and for regular, provisional, or refueling straight-in instrument approaches for airports are increased by 100 feet and that runway. one-half mile (or the RVR equivalent). The MDA or DA/DH and visibility § 121.657 Flight altitude rules. minimums need not be increased above (a) General. Notwithstanding § 91.119 those applicable to the airport when or any rule applicable outside the used as an alternate airport, but in no United States, no person may operate event may the landing minimums be an aircraft below the minimums set less than 300 and 1. However, a Pilot in forth in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this command employed by a certificate section, except when necessary for holder conducting operations in large takeoff or landing, or except when, aircraft under part 135 of this chapter, after considering the character of the may credit flight time acquired in op- terrain, the quality and quantity of erations conducted for that operator meteorological services, the naviga- under part 91 in the same type airplane tional facilities available, and other for up to 50 percent of the 100 hours of flight conditions, the Administrator pilot in command experience required prescribes other minimums for any by this paragraph. route or part of a route where he finds (b) The 100 hours of pilot in command that the safe conduct of the flight re- experience required by paragraph (a) of quires other altitudes. Outside of the this section may be reduced (not to ex- United States the minimums pre- ceed 50 percent) by substituting one scribed in this section are controlling landing in operations under this part in unless higher minimums are prescribed the type of airplane for 1 required hour in the certificate holder’s operations of pilot in command experience, if the specifications or by the foreign country pilot has at least 100 hours as pilot in over which the aircraft is operating. command of another type airplane in (b) Day VFR operations. No certificate operations under this part. holder conducting domestic operations (c) Category II minimums and the may operate a passenger-carrying air- sliding scale when authorized in the craft and no certificate holder con- certificate holder’s operations speci- ducting flag or supplemental oper- fications do not apply until the pilot in ations may operate any aircraft under command subject to paragraph (a) of VFR during the day at an altitude less this section meets the requirements of than 1,000 feet above the surface or less

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