Definition
The published lowest altitudes and visibilities at which a pilot may complete an instrument approach that is being directed by an air traffic controller using radar. These minimums are listed for each radar-equipped airport and apply to Precision Approach Radar (PAR) approaches, Airport Surveillance Radar (ASR) approaches, and circling approaches conducted with radar guidance.
Plain English
The lowest altitude and shortest visibility at which a pilot is allowed to keep flying an approach when a controller is guiding them down using radar. If the weather is worse than these numbers, the approach cannot be flown.
Context Anchor
Seen in instrument approach training and radar approach discussions, especially for approaches where a controller talks the pilot toward the runway using ground radar.
Derivation
Radar comes from “radio detection and ranging,” which describes using radio waves to find where something is and how far away it is. Minimums means the lowest allowed limits. Together, the phrase points to the lowest allowed altitude and visibility limits for an approach based on radar guidance.
Why Pilots Care
These values mark the exact safety limit where the pilot must either see the runway or immediately begin a missed approach, directly affecting go/no-go decisions in low visibility.
Grounding Statement
For a radar instrument approach, the minimums are the bottom line: do not go lower or continue to land unless the published conditions are met.
Intuition Check
Do not read “radar” here as the airplane’s own weather display; it means ground-based radar used by air traffic control. Do not read “minimums” as a suggestion; in this context they are published limits.
Example Sentence 1
Before requesting the ASR approach, the pilot checked the radar instrument approach minimums and confirmed the reported visibility was above the published value.
Example Sentence 2
If the airport environment is not visible at the radar instrument approach minimums, the pilot must immediately climb and turn for the missed approach.