Fuji,
There are a lot of instructors on both side of the Atlantic who are just bumps on logs building time. But I was not crticising instructors. What I was criticising was the attitude that
a) I am right, and I found an instructor that agrees with me, so I am right
b) I am right, and I found an instuctor that disagrees with me, so the instructor is wrong.
IO54O,
The only interpretation of the FAR's that matter comes out of the FAA General Counsel's office, or the judge who is going to hear your case for violating a FAR (probably 91.13). What I attempt to do is provide interpretations citing from and quoting the FARs, I don't cite unnamed instructors/examiners or emails from unknown FAA staff. I also try not to redefine words like 'turning' to mean 'cleared to land'. I encourage people to read the FARs themselves, as in general they are very clear, for legal stuff anyway. You should know anyway this if you have an FAA IR.
Originally Posted by IO540
SS
We were discussing two separate issues:
1) Does 91.175 prohibit descent below the MSA other than on a published IAP, in any airspace including uncontrolled.
.......
I agree with you that 91.175 sounds like there is a blanket ban, but I reported an informed view in the USA that in Class G you can do what you like (out there).
It doesn't sound like a blanket ban because there are exceptions. The exceptions do not include class G airspace.
3FallinFlyer asked a question, I warned him that if he wants to move over to an FAA IR then he should be aware that he cannot descend below the MEA in IMC in class g unless there is a published IAP and it appears he found my answer (citing the FAR, not some unknown individual) useful. If you want to stop these threads from repeating ad nauseam then don't jump in and post nonsense and I will not be forced to point out to people like 3FallingFlyer that you are wrong.
OK?
You
cannot do what you like in class G airspace. This is a major and fundamental misunderstanding of the FARs. If in weather below VFR minimums, you can fly IFR if rated but you do not need to file a flight plan, and you do not need an ATC clearance (FAR 91.173), that's about it. Minimum altitude rules certainly apply (91.177). You need an IR. Your plane needs to be equipped (91.205). Hardly you can do what you want.
The other point is that you can fly IFR/IMC down to the MSA (in Class G, without ATC clearance, both in the USA and in the UK) and if you are visual then you can make a visual approach; do you disagree with that?
I agree with that. I disagree with your claim that this is 1000 AGL, it will be higher than that. If you are using an FAA IR you can descend to the relevant MEA in cloud, but not below. Below the MEA, unless on a published IAP, you
mustfly VFR, minimums are prescribed in 91.155.
I agree that you will probably get away with it but that was not the point of my answering 3fallingflyer's initial question. If you just said "I'm busting the rules and don't care", then that is fine but you didn't. You tried to justify your breaking the rules by misinterpreting them.
If you really understood the FARs and wanted a discussion relevant to 3fallingflyers actual question you should cite 91.703 (a) (3) and not some unnamed instructor/examiner. Even then, you would still be wrong