Definition
Takeoff weather minimums published for a specific airport that differ from the standard FAA values because of obstacles, terrain, or other local factors. They typically require higher ceiling and visibility, and may also include a specified climb gradient or other restriction. They are indicated on instrument approach charts by a triangle symbol containing the letter T, which directs the pilot to the airport's takeoff minimums entry in the front of the chart booklet.
Plain English
Special weather and climb requirements for taking off from a particular airport that are stricter than the normal rules, because something near the airport — like a hill, tower, or trees — makes a standard departure unsafe.
Context Anchor
Seen when planning an instrument departure, especially in the takeoff minimums section of FAA instrument procedure publications or where a chart indicates special takeoff requirements.
Derivation
‘Non-standard’ simply means ‘not the default.’ The standard takeoff minimums are the FAA's baseline values applied everywhere unless an airport's specific circumstances require something different. When they do, the airport gets its own published, non-standard values.
Why Pilots Care
They determine whether departure is legal and safe; ignoring them risks controlled flight into terrain or enforcement action.
Grounding Statement
The key idea is simple: before taking off, check whether that runway has special published requirements instead of the usual ones.
Intuition Check
Do not assume “non-standard” means optional or unusual advice. Here it means a published requirement that replaces the normal takeoff minimums for that departure.
Example Sentence 1
Before departing, she checked the approach chart and saw the triangle-T symbol, alerting her that non-standard takeoff minimums applied at that airport.
Example Sentence 2
With the reported visibility at one mile, the crew waited because the airport listed non-standard takeoff minimums of one-and-a-half miles.