AMC4 SPO.OP.110 Aerodrome operating minima — aeroplanes and helicopters

DETERMINATION OF THE DH/MDH FOR INSTRUMENT APPROACH OPERATIONS — AEROPLANES

(a) The decision height (DH) to be used for a 3D approach operation or a 2D approach operation flown using the continuous descent final approach (CDFA) technique should not be lower than the highest of:

(1) the obstacle clearance height (OCH) for the category of aircraft;

(2) the published approach procedure DH or minimum descent height (MDH) where applicable;

(3) the system minima specified in Table 4;

(4) the minimum DH permitted for the runway specified in Table 5; or

(5) the minimum DH specified in the AFM or equivalent document, if stated.

(b) The MDH for a 2D approach operation flown not using CDFA technique should not be lower than the highest of:

(1) the OCH for the category of aircraft;

(2) the published approach procedure MDH where applicable;

(3) the system minimum specified in Table 4;

(4) the lowest MDH permitted for the runway specified in Table 5; or

(5) the lowest MDH specified in the AFM, if stated.

DETERMINATION OF THE DH/MDH FOR INSTRUMENT APPROACH OPERATIONS — HELICOPTERS

(c) The DH or MDH should not be lower than the highest of:

(1) the OCH for the category of aircraft;

(2) the published approach procedure DH or MDH where applicable;

(3) the system minima specified in Table 4;

(4) the lowest DH or MDH permitted for the runway/FATO specified in Table 6 if applicable; or

(5) the lowest DH or MDH specified in the AFM, if stated.

Table 4

System minima — all aircraft

Facility	Lowest DH/MDH (ft)
ILS/MLS/GLS	200
GNSS/SBAS (LPV)	200*
Precision approach radar (PAR)	200
GNSS/SBAS (LP)	250
GNSS (LNAV)	250
GNSS/Baro VNAV (LNAV/VNAV)	250
Helicopter PinS approach	250**
LOC with or without DME	250
SRA (terminating at ½ NM)	250
SRA (terminating at 1 NM)	300
SRA (terminating at 2 NM or more)	350
VOR	300
VOR/DME	250
NDB	350
NDB/DME	300
VDF	350

* For localiser performance with vertical guidance (LPV), a DH of 200 ft may be used only if the published final approach segment (FAS) datablock sets a vertical alert limit not exceeding 35 m. Otherwise, the DH should not be lower than 250 ft.

** For PinS approaches with instructions to ‘proceed VFR’ to an undefined or virtual destination, the DH or MDH should be with reference to the ground below the missed approach point (MAPt).

Table 5

Runway type minima — aeroplanes

Runway type	Lowest DH/MDH (ft)
Precision approach (PA) runway, category I	200
NPA runway	250
Non-instrument runway	Circling minima as shown in Table 1 in SPO.OP.112

Table 6

Type of runway/FATO versus lowest DH/MDH — helicopters

Type of runway/FATO	Lowest DH/MDH (ft)
PA runway, category I NPA runway Non-instrument runway	200
Instrument FATO FATO	200 250

Table 6 does not apply to helicopter PinS approaches with instructions to ‘proceed VFR’.