MDA

[flarepilot]

aerocat and boac

I simply meant the following: sometimes the dive and drive technique allows you to see the runway and maneuver around clouds that might otherwise be in the way of a constant descent.

if there is a cloud at the mda in the exact place that the constant descent leads you to, then you don't get in.

if you get to the mda early and DO NOT LEAVE THE MDA until it is safe to do so, you might observe the runway and a way to it that the constant descent would not allow you to see.

I DO NOT, say again, DO NOT advocate leaving the MDA until the runway can be safely made. But the harsh reality of non precision approaches simply means the clouds have to be out of the way...flexibility, crew coordination, precise understanding of the particular approach, airport environment and the like all are part of the equation.

and for the record I do not steepen an approach to a runway if the runway is seen ''too late''.
I also remind you all that circling or non straight in approaches also have an MDA and even with the restrictions airlines now impose of basic vfr to circle, observations at MDA on the early side (or basic vfr equiv for certain airline ops ) aid in the approach.


oh, and just in case...sometimes, in odd situations, a non precision apch may get you in while an ILS leaves you in the cloud for the same runway...