Short Finals

[Garibaldi Red]

On a recent trip to Samos, the pilot informed us that it would be a bit bumpy on "short finals" due to 30 mph cross winds.

Could someone please explain what "Short Finals" is please, apart from giving me a very close view of a mountain and a sharp turn just before we landed.

Thank-you in advance.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

When you are very close to landing..

[cheesycol]

"Short Finals" is final approach to land, with four miles or less to run.

"Long Finals" is final approach to land with between eight miles and four miles to run.

Should the expression be "Final" or "Finals"? If "Finals" why? How many aircraft/runways/approaches can you be in/approaching/on, at once?

[JustAnotherVictim]

The correct term in UK ATC is "final".

During my training we were told that there was no such thing as "short final", but as cheeseycol already said, assume that "short finals" would be used to describe established on final approach inside four miles.

:)

[WHBM]

Garibaldi:

Finals is also when the pilot has the plane fully aligned with the landing runway, so it will not include your "sharp turn just before landing".

Short Finals is the later point at which I may say, quite emphatically "G-WHBM, Runway xx, SHORT FINALS" if someone is still messing about on the runway ! (A more professional pilot would doubtless give his DME instead).

[cheesycol]

When on an approach such as that to the old Kai Tak, would the aircraft not be on final before the turn to align with the runway, due the short distance to run once that turn is complete?

[seacue]

An exception to "no turns on short final" would be the approach to Rwy 19 at Washington National Aiport KDCA. All approaches to this runway involve a 20-degree turn one mile from the runway. About 40% of all arrivals to the airport use this approach, and it has been essentially unchanged for a number of decades. The airport has a total of roughly 300 arrivals per day.

[astreau]

Draw an elongated rectangle. Make one of the long sides the runway. Fly up the runway and turn left or right. This short side is the CROSSWIND leg. Now turn to fly back down the other longer side parallel and opposite to the runway. This is the DOWNWIND leg. When you have passed the far end of the runway turn along the remaining short side of the rectange. This is the BASE leg. "Finally" turn to face up the runway again. This is the FINAL leg. That is the typical CIRCUIT around a runway, sometimes left-handed, sometimes right-handed and sometimes both!
Short final refers to a position somewhere along that FINAL leg.

[cheesycol]

astreau

Not necessarily true. If memory serves me correctly an ATZ, outside CAS, will never normally have a radius greater than 2.5 miles.

Therefore it is easily possible to be final, or short final, whilst outside the standard circut flown by circut traffic.