"Scott Draper" wrote in message
...

An airline pilot of my acquaintance related about accepting a charted
visual flight procedure into Reno, part of which involves intercepting
a localizer course. He said they were IMC at the time.

My understanding is that the aircraft must reporting seeing a landmark
or preceding aircraft before clearance for this charted visual flight
procedure will be given.

Any thoughts about whether my acquaintance acted properly?


That would require knowing how your acquaintance had acted. Was he issued
the clearance without reporting a charted landmark in sight? You say he was
in IMC at the time the clearance was issued, but that doesn't necessarily
preclude the sighting of a landmark.



FAA Order 7110.65P Air Traffic Control

Chapter 7. Visual

Section 4. Approaches

7-4-5. CHARTED VISUAL FLIGHT PROCEDURES (CVFP). USA/USN NOT APPLICABLE

Clear an aircraft for a CVFP only when the following conditions are met:

a. There is an operating control tower.

b. The published name of the CVFP and the landing runway are specified in
the approach clearance, the reported ceiling at the airport of intended
landing is at least 500 feet above the MVA/MIA, and the visibility is 3
miles or more, unless higher minimums are published for the particular CVFP.

c. When using parallel or intersecting/converging runways, the criteria
specified in para 7-4-4, Approaches to Multiple Runways, are applied.

d. An aircraft not following another aircraft on the approach reports
sighting a charted visual landmark, or reports sighting a preceding aircraft
landing on the same runway and has been instructed to follow that aircraft.

PHRASEOLOGY-
(Ident) CLEARED (name of CVFP) APPROACH.