The FAA plans to update aviation’s general flight rules section — Part 91.176 — with new performance-based guidelines aimed at improving flexibility for operators of aircraft equipped with an Enhanced Flight Vision System (EFVS). The rule, effective March 13, 2017, will allow aircraft on an IFR flight plan in most categories to fly a straight-in approach all the way to touchdown, provided the aircraft is properly equipped and the crew trained to EFVS standards. The FAA said the new certification provides a level of safety to flight operations equivalent to what pilots currently experience. Currently, the lowest instrument approach minimums allow for a final descent to the surface from 100 feet AGL if the pilot can visually capture some aspect of the runway or the landing environment with their own eyes.
Flying an Instrument Approach to Touchdown Becomes Possible Next Spring
Key Takeaways:
- The FAA's updated Part 91.176 rules, effective March 13, 2017, introduce performance-based guidelines for aircraft equipped with an Enhanced Flight Vision System (EFVS).
- This allows EFVS-equipped aircraft and trained crews to fly straight-in instrument approaches all the way to touchdown and operate in lower visibility conditions (e.g., 600-foot takeoff visibility).
- The rule, which details pilot training standards, ensures a level of safety equivalent to current visual flight operations by using infrared cameras to enhance pilot vision in poor conditions.
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