Originally Posted by
FlyingBulldog
Sorry, maybe I should have been more clear. This is hypothetical only, and would be regarding a part 91 (non-student) pattern only flight.
Why would you fly a 500' pattern? Well, you wouldn't necessarily need to fly that low, you are in class G up to 700'AGL, so you could go up that high. Also, do you not do the same thing when circling? Yes. So if you're good to circle out of an approach with clouds presumably right on top of you (if its down to mins), and up to 1.3 miles from the runway, you're saying its not safe to do the same basic maneuver 200' higher, with clouds 300' above you, and within 1/2 mile of the runway?
Vis hasn't really been the problem out here, mainly the ceiling. But what I'm trying to find out I guess is if the pilot goes out to the airport and the ceiling appears to be 1,500', so he goes and flies a few patterns, what's to stop an FAA guy from showing up and saying, "nope, looks like 999' ceiling to me." How could the pilot CYA without an official weather report?
When circling you're on an instrument flight plan, in the system, and operating under IFR. Not the same thing as flying a VFR pattern, or planning for a VFR flight. Don't confuse the two, or use one to justify the other. If your'e "circling out of an approach," then cloud distance criteria is irrelevant.
Circling is also one of the most dangerous things you can do when flying single pilot instruments, and if you're going to compare visibility and ceiling low enough to require a 500' pattern in special VFR, then realistically you're in instrument conditions and shouldn't be there. There's a reason that many companies won't permit circling, particularly circling at night. Simply because you're trying to do it day VFR, especially in the context of a student pilot, doesn't make it any wiser...especially for a student pilot. Don't do that.
As for making weather determinations, it was answered in my previous reply. What did you take away from that?