Originally Posted by
Jet Jockey A4
@ GlobalNav...
Just to make sure we understand each other, our Challenger and Globals came from the factory with a CAT II supplement in their AFMs. This means the aircraft is certified to do CAT II approaches.
Like I said our regular maintenance program keeps those aircrafts airworthy to conduct the CAT IIs... The aircraft does not lose its CAT II certification or status because a flight department decided not to conduct CAT II operations.
It is up to the operator or a flight department's management to ask its country's authority (FAA, TC or JAA/EASA) to get CAT II approval in the same way an operator needs to get an Ops spec for 1200 RVR or 600 RVR takeoffs or to fly in RVSM airspace just to name a few.
No argument with you at all. The OEM has provided what they needed to for Cat II. I would encourage you to query your customers, US in particular, to see, if you can, how many actually maintain Cat II crew qualifications. My industry network includes knowledgeable representatives of Bombardier which have told me that pt91 operators consider the Cat II requirements too onerous and expensive to keep up. Your mileage may vary.
The advent of vision systems, especially EFVS, offers the prospect of instrument approaches and landings in less than the typical Cat I visibility minima without the Cat II burden and to many more runways. This is exactly what the FAA is making available.