Icarus,
So where do you find the critical obstruction to add 300' to?
Who says you have to be 300' above a critical obstacle if you are visual and dont fly over it?
Artificial horizon,
This is a bit of a spurious question really, if you start the approach intending to ustilise a circling approach the you should NOT descend below the circling minima...In my opinion what you can't do is use the straight in minima purely as a basis to aloow descent below the circling minima knowing full well that you intend to circle.
Nothing spurious about the question except your opinion. Opinions are like assholes.. everybody has one.. Quote a reference to support your opinion !!
Checkboard,
It's called the professional responsibility of a pilot to obey the law. If you descended below the charted circling minima while still in cloud, became visual at a lower level, and then proceeded to circle with me as a passenger, I would have very strong words with you on the ground (should we make it) and file a report.
Report what? Which law is being broken??
When daylight exists and obstacles can be seen, the
pilot has the option of descending from MDA from any position within
the circling area while maintaining an obstacle clearance not
less than that required for the aircraft performance category.
1.7.3 During visual circling or during a NPA, descent below the MDA
may only occur when the pilot:
a. maintains the aircraft within the circling area; and
b. maintains a visibility, along the intended flight path, not less
than the minimum specified on the chart for the procedure; and
c. maintains visual contact with the landing runway environment
(ie, the runway threshold or approach lighting or other
markings identifiable with the runway);
and either
d. by night or day, while complying with a., b. and c. (at an altitude
not less than the MDA), intercepts a position on the downwind,
base or final leg of the landing traffic pattern, and, from this
position, can complete a continuous descent to the landing
threshold using rates of descent and flight manoeuvres which
are normal for the aircraft type and, during this descent, maintains
an obstacle clearance along the flight path not less than
the minimum for the aircraft performance category until the aircraft
is aligned with the landing runway;
or
e. in daylight only, while complying with a., b. and c., maintains visual
contact with obstacles along the intended flight path and
an obstacle clearance not less than the minimum for the aircraft
performance category until the aircraft is aligned with the landing
runway.
Which part of this do you guys not understand?