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If your aircraft is Category A, should you always use those minimums?
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:
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."
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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Colin is a Boldmethod co-founder and lifelong pilot. He's been a flight instructor at the University of North Dakota, an airline pilot on the CRJ-200, and has directed the development of numerous commercial and military training systems. You can reach him at colin@boldmethod.com.