If your aircraft is Category A, should you always use those minimums?

Aircraft Approach Category Certification

According to FAR 97.3, an aircraft's approach category is based on a published speed called Vref. It's the approximate speed for flying a stabilized final approach. When Vref is not specified for an airplane (which is the case for most light aircraft), Vref equals 1.3 X Vso, or the stalling speed of the aircraft in a landing configuration.

Each approach category correspond with the minimums you'll find at the bottom of an instrument approach:

Choose Minimums Based On Your Actual Final Approach Speed

If your airplane is certified as "Category A," that doesn't mean you should always use Category A approach minimums.

According to AIM 5-4-7 (b), if it becomes necessary to fly faster than the aircraft's published category, the minimums for the higher category should be used. The paragraph explains "As an additional example, a Category A airplane (or helicopter) which is operating at 130 knots on a straight-in approach should use the approach Category C minimums."

• Example 1 (Cessna 172 Skyhawk, Category A): If you fly the final approach segment at 95 knots (indicated), you should use Category B minimums.
• Example 2 (Cirrus SR-22, Category A): If you fly the final approach segment at 125 knots (indicated), you should use Category C minimums.

Sometimes minimums don't change across categories, like in the ILS shown below.

In years past, the AIM suggested that pilots choose straight-in minimums based on the certified approach category of the aircraft flown. That's not the case anymore.

Today, it's all based on your indicated airspeed flown (circling and straight-in). The update makes sense, because higher minimums give you a higher safety margin when you're flying fast.

What do you think? Tell us in the comments below.

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