Definition
Instrument-rated pilots, designated as Pilot in Command (PIC), who are subject to higher minimum weather requirements than the standard published instrument approach minimums when operating under FAR Part 135. Specifically, until they have logged 100 hours of PIC time under instrument flight rules in the type of aircraft being flown, they must add 100 feet to the published Decision Altitude (DA) or Minimum Descent Altitude (MDA) and add one-half statute mile (or its RVR equivalent) to the published landing visibility minimums.
Plain English
Newer instrument-qualified captains in Part 135 operations who must use stricter weather minimums until they build enough PIC instrument experience. They have to land with a higher cloud ceiling and better visibility than the chart shows, until they've flown 100 hours as captain on instruments in that type of aircraft.
Context Anchor
Seen in instrument approach planning when comparing the published minimums on an approach chart with the minimums a particular pilot is authorized to use.
Derivation
The phrase comes from 'minimums,' the lowest weather conditions under which a pilot may legally fly an instrument approach. 'High-minimums' simply means those minimums are raised higher than the published values for this category of pilot.
Why Pilots Care
A high-minimums status can turn a legal approach into an illegal one in marginal weather, forcing a missed approach or diversion.
Grounding Statement
For the same approach in the same airplane, one pilot may be allowed to land at the published minimums while a high-minimums pilot must have better conditions.
Intuition Check
“High-minimums” does not mean the pilot wants extra caution or that the approach itself has higher published limits. It means that pilot must personally use higher required limits than the normal published minimums.
Example Sentence 1
As a high-minimums pilot, she had to add 100 feet to the DA and a half mile to the visibility before accepting the approach into the destination.
Example Sentence 2
After logging the required number of approaches in actual conditions, the pilot was no longer restricted as a high-minimums pilot.