On Tue, 4 Jan 2005 08:01:21 -0500, "Gary Drescher"
wrote:

Yes, but the way 91.175c puts it is "no pilot may operate...below the
authorized MDA or... below the authorized DH unless--...". Technically,
that doesn't even say you can go below the MDA or DH (that would be "a pilot
may operate below... if and only if--..."), though that's obviously what the
FAA meant. So as it stands, 91.175c (presumably) is meant to waive the
MDA/DH requirement under the specified conditions, but it's not obvious that
it's meant to waive the even stricter requirement given by a step-down
altitude, at a location where the step-down altitude applies. (Is the MDA/DA
even defined to apply during the approach segment where a higher step-down
altitude applies?)

--Gary


Oh, I think most definitely.

The rule is obviously designed to allow the pilot to descend for
landing as soon as the requirements for a safe execution of the visual
portion of the approach has been met..

I don't see why an intermediate segment altitude would override that,
with the caveat that one needs to be absolutely certain that visual
conditions will remain the rest of the way.

After all, we have the runway environment in sight, don't forget, so
we are probably talking at least 2-3 miles or more visibility, if we
see the runway environment at a stepdown altitude.