Spotting but no aircraft !

Sunday I went spotting at the Brooklyn shoreline when I learned JFK was using the VOR 13L approach. There was a big problem, the clouds were hovering at about 2,000 feet with few openings, so I heard the jets but saw almost none; this was torture. I was surprised aircraft were allowed to use this approach with such poor visibility but remembered that they use radar to find the CRI VOR and after that, below 1500,; it was clear. I saw 1 or 2 aircraft. Evidently, they saw the lead-in and approach lights and no misses. I felt blindfolded and finally went home. Imagine the aircraft I heard but never saw.

When they're on finals in PHL they're at about 1500 feet when they pass over the house, and yesterday it was the same story here with the cloud cover. I'd hear the noise but see nothing, then see them pop out of the clouds further down the approach. Almost missed an An-124 because of it last November

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Originally Posted by Speedbird1

Sunday I went spotting at the Brooklyn shoreline when I learned JFK was using the VOR 13L approach. There was a big problem, the clouds were hovering at about 2,000 feet with few openings, so I heard the jets but saw almost none; this was torture. I was surprised aircraft were allowed to use this approach with such poor visibility but remembered that they use radar to find the CRI VOR and after that, below 1500,; it was clear. I saw 1 or 2 aircraft. Evidently, they saw the lead-in and approach lights and no misses. I felt blindfolded and finally went home. Imagine the aircraft I heard but never saw.

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The minimums for that approach are an 800 feet ceiling and 2 1/2 miles visibility. In the sim we shoot it to minimums, (Google Earth graphics, the Belt Pkwy.,the Aqueduct ,everything looks about 80 percent real),but in real life it has always been clear and a million when I have flown it.