BBT:
From whence do I get such nuggets? From observing the way airlines operate from the cockpit and the ground for almost 30 years. From watching regulatory authority sweep things under the rug to keep things going.
If no one is hurt, an airline that "busts mins" might get a little hand slap, don't do it again.
IF someone is hurt, the governmental authority will likely have more pressure upon it to "do something".
And BBT, I did ask questions. I also state that the information I am giving is a USA thing not a BRITISH thing. IF it is not correct, please show me the FARS that have changed since I checked them last.
It would seem that you have a chip on your shoulder.
I have never had the chance to fly in England. I imagine fog in England is like fog in America. Sometimes it can cover just certain parts of the aerodrome and not the parts that really matter to pilots(runways). I think my KPIT experience is quite relevent as stated. Especially when I ask if something similiar happened in this case...if it did not, just say so. I don't subscribe to the london times.
In England, if the visibility is low, are your ATC people required to leave the control tower and make another observation? This being the cloud over the tower scenario. Please note this is in the form of a question and not a statement.
In your flying career have you ever seen fog covering just the transmissometers and not the runway? (also in the form of a question)
And to daysleeper who mentions that a visual approach would be illegal in my previously described scenario, I didn't make a visual. I made an ILS and made a pilot report of actual runway visibility from the aircraft. As it was quite a bit above the published mins of 1/2 mile we were ok. It was the unique situation of fog over the rvr gadgets and not over the runway that I was describing.
Perhaps the name of this forum shouldn't be the professional pilots rumor network, it should be the european pilots forum.
regards
jon