Regarding forecast ceiling, what is the minimum required relative to FAF altitude or MDA?

• A. At least 1,000 feet above FAF altitude or 1,500 feet above the MDA
• B. At least 2,000 feet above FAF altitude
• C. At least 500 feet above MDA
• D. At least 1,500 feet above FAF altitude

Answer: (A)

The safety margin for forecast ceilings is built around giving a buffer above the reference altitude used on the approach. You need a minimum of 1,000 feet above the FAF altitude to ensure you have enough clearance if the ceiling is near forecast, and if you’re planning from the MDA on a non-precision approach, you must have at least 1,500 feet above the MDA. This dual requirement covers bothtypes of approaches: FAF-based planning and MDA-based planning. The other numbers don’t match this standard because they either ignore the MDA scenario or set an inappropriate margin.