B737 No Uptrim during Cat III

[LEM]

Yes, as Alaskan Timber rightly says, my sentence build up is often unfortunate, my English being quite poor.

But... who cares!!
I'm a pilot, not a politician, nor a demagogue, as somebody on this forum.
When I mean bread I mean bread, when I mean wine I mean wine.

So, enough blah blah and back on stage!

XXXX

I'll start by quoting my LOW VISIBILITY OPERATIONS MANUAL:
"If, during a CAT III approach, a system failure occurs which requires intervention by the pilot, a go around will be performed, unless the aircraft is below DH and the Captain has adequate visual reference to complete a manual landing."

Also: "If a system malfunction or engine failure occurs below DH, the Captain may, provided adequate visual references exist, continue the approach and land manually."
(Italic is mine).

Some posters have expressed their concernment about manually landing in poor visibility, accusing me of machismo, disconcerting attitude, pushing the airplane beyond its limitations and rubbish like that.

I thought that legally meant safely, in aviation.
Have you ever realized we are allowed lo legally land with a 15mtrs visual segment, although displaced due to the slant visual range?
Yes, FIFTEEN METRES!
Disconcerting, isn't it?

How come 15 mtrs?
My book says: if after passing the OM or equivalent position the RVR decreases to below minimums, the pilot is allowed to continue down to the radio minima, and land if he is satisfied with the visual cues.
Now, once again, adequate visual cues means THREE longitudinal lights, i.e. THREE runway centreline lights, which can be spaced as close as seven and a half metres!
That gives a segment of 15 metres!
And, just to add to the fun, all this is perfectly valid in CAT II, with the addition of one lateral element, being one TDZ barrette.

Correct me if I'm wrong with all this math, but CAT II means manual landing !


Now, I understand some decades ago the idea of an airplane landing by itself was unbelievable to the general public, so I understand how people involved with the certification process have tended to cover their *** as much as they could.

So, as a last resort, if everything goes to worms and our pilots are sleeping, let's give us a last chance adding this uptrim which will prevent making a big hole into the runway.
Fine.

So now I've got at least two questions: why isn't there a warning if uptrim doesn't occur?
Why don't we have a callout for that? And why in the long and detailed list of all the required working components - and downgradable ones - there is no mention at all about uptrim?
In my manuals I cant't find anything about "... verify uptrim has occurred at 400 ft...", and I'm convinced some people won't even notice the lack of it.

And now the pilots aspect: how much do we want to trust them?
Why do two pilots need an uptrim if two autopilots, two red disconnect lights, an aural warning, a stab out of trim, and their ability to pull up manually are not enough to avoid making a large hole into the runway, when the same pilots are legally allowed to manually land an airplane after a CAT II approach with a visual segment available as low as fifteen metres?


XXXX


One important clarification: I said my decision was to land after the no uptrim event, not that I actually landed.
In fact, after the ramark of the boss, I did go around at more or less 250 ft.

There still was no STAB OUT OF TRIM light.
And I've got the impression that it doesn't come on, if the uptrim doesn't take place.

So, of course, if the light actually comes on, maybe at a later stage, this whole thread is invalid, although quite interesting and stimulating...

But if it doesn't, I think my points deserve some attention...


XXXX


Regarding the "rewarding" question, I just laugh at people considering it machismo.
I do confirm, yes, I'm rewarded when I safely land in "difficult" conditions.
Landing in CAT II or III is more difficult than landing in good weather. That's why not everybody can do it. One need to be qualified. It goes by itself.
So that's rewarding for everybody.

But in openly saying that, I make the other narcissist guys feel uncomfortable, as they think only they can secretly be rewarded.

Narcissism wears all sort of masks and garnments, including the humility one.
Know the little joke of the old man about to pass over, all his relatives and friends around his bed enumerating his virtues?
Eventually, he raises and says: " You have forgotten my humility!"