The Short-Final Scud Run

J. Mac McClellan

Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 11:11 PM ET

Verified

Chris Gall

Key Takeaways:

The visual segment of an instrument approach, especially in minimum visibility, poses significant risks due to misleading visual cues and the inherent difficulty of transitioning from instrument flight to visual landing.
There's a critical discrepancy between FAA regulations requiring a "normal approach and landing" from minimums (FAR 91.175) and some published approach minimums that necessitate unsafe maneuvering.
For single pilots, a capable autopilot is essential for safely managing the workload, maintaining stability, and enabling effective instrument monitoring during the challenging visual transition and particularly risky circling approaches.

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June 2010 NOT ALL THAT long ago even the best full-motion jet simulators had very basic visual presentations that were restricted to nothing more than a view straight ahead through the windshield.

Most simulators had a television-style screen mounted in each pilot’s windshield, and you couldn’t really see anything except the display on your side. And there were no visual displays for the cockpit side windows. It was the best technology the 1970s and early ’80s could provide.