General Aviation FAA
Joint Steering Committee Aviation Safety
Safety Enhancement Topic
February 2015
Personal Minimums
Personal minimums refer to an individual pilot’s set of procedures, rules, criteria, and guidelines for
deciding whether and under what conditions to operate (or continue operating) in the National Airspace
System. Personal minimums should be set so as to provide a solid safety buffer between the pilot skills and
aircraft capability required for the specific flight you want to make, and the pilot skills and aircraft capability
available to you through training, experience, currency, proficiency and, in the case of the airplane,
performance characteristics.
What Should I Consider? Step 3 – Consider Other Conditions. It is also
a good idea to have personal minimums for wind,
Step 1 – Review Weather Minimums. The
turbulence, and operating conditions that involve
regulations define weather flight conditions for
things like high density altitude, challenging terrain,
visual flight rules (VFR) and instrument flight rules
or short runways. Record the most challenging
(IFR) in terms of specific values for ceiling and
conditions you have comfortably experienced in the
visibility. IFR means a ceiling less than 1,000 feet
last six to twelve months. You can note these values
AGL and/or visibility less than three miles. Low IFR
for category and class, for specific make and model,
(LIFR) is a sub-category of IFR. VFR means a ceiling
or both.
greater than 3,000 feet AGL and visibility greater
than five miles. Marginal VFR (MVFR) is a sub-
category of VFR.
Step 2 – Assess Your Experience and
Comfort Level. Think through your recent flying
experiences and make a note of the lowest weather
conditions that you have comfortably experienced
in VFR and, if applicable, IFR flying in the last six to
twelve months. This exercise helps establish your
personal “comfort level” for VFR, MVFR, IFR, and
LIFR weather conditions.
Consider following a personal minimums checklist like the one
shown here and on the next page.
Continued on Next Page
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Step 4 – Assemble and Evaluate. Next, Step 6 – Stick to the Plan! Once you have
combine these numbers to develop a set of baseline established baseline personal minimums, “all” you
personal minimums. need to do next is stick to the plan. That task is a lot
harder than it sounds, especially when the flight is for
a trip that you really want to make, or when you are
Step 5 – Adjust for Specific Conditions. Any staring into the faces of disappointed passengers.
flight involves almost infinite combinations of pilot Here’s where personal minimums can be an
skill, experience, condition, and proficiency; aircraft especially valuable tool. Professional pilots live by the
equipment and performance; environmental numbers, and so should you. Pre-established numbers
conditions; and external influences. These factors can make it a lot easier to make a smart no-go or
can compress the baseline safety buffer, so you divert decision. In addition, a written set of personal
need a structured way to adjust for changing minimums can also make it easier to explain tough
conditions. Consider developing a chart of decisions to passengers who are entrusting their lives
adjustment factors based on changes in the PAVE to your aeronautical skill and judgment.
checklist factors - Pilot, Aircraft, enVironment, and
External Pressures.
When you have comfortably flown to your
baseline personal minimums for several months,
you can consider adjusting to lower values. Two
important cautions:
1. Never adjust personal minimums to a lower
value for a specific flight. The time to consider
changes is when you are not under any pressure
to fly, and when you have the time and
objectivity to think honestly about your skill,
performance, and comfort level.
2. Keep all other variables constant. If your goal is
to lower your baseline personal minimums for
visibility, don’t try to lower the ceiling, wind, or Resources
other values at the same time. FAA Risk Management Handbook, Chapter 8, Risk
Management Training
www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/
handbooks_manuals/aviation/
risk_management_handbook/media/rmh_ch08.pdf
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