despegue,
your tone leads me to conclude that you were probably still in nappies when I made my first NDB approach with no automatics in limiting weather conditions. Insults like yours do not add to a discussion in any meaningful way.
The PIC said he saw the approach lights. Maybe he lied. He also said he saw the flashing RWY indicator lights. Maybe he lied. The TWR say they saw the a/c on finals and then gave landing clearance. Maybe they lied too. None of that changes the fact that you do not need to have the RWY in sight to continue below minima. The rules do not say when you have to gain sight of the RWY. That is where the airmanship comes in. I suppose that just going-round anyway when you are in fact allowed to continue a little further dispenses with the need for airmanship that's all. To tell me that you need to see the RWY before you land on it is rather obvious in my opinion. I had managed to work that one out for myself thanks, close to 40 years ago now.
There are several approaches on our network (at least until recently) where the minima are so high that your methods would regularly preclude a landing even in weather approaching VMC. It is not an omission in the rules to allow descent below minima without sight of the rwy. in many places it can be a necessity.
Oh and by the way you do not need three consecutive lights for visual reference on an NPA under EU ops. You do however for cat I, cat II, cat IIIA and IIIB fail passive ILS.
Last edited by tightcircuit; 2nd Sep 2014 at 19:31.