Circle to Land. Airbus/Boeing Procedures?

[safety_worker]

Circle to land, circling, circling approaches, etc..
Looking at Boeing and Airbus's procedures for a circle to land.
Boeing - Landing flaps while leaving downwind leg? Disconnect autopilot and autothrottle when intercepting the landing profile on finals!
Airbus - Gear and Full flaps just prior to turning finals?
Am I right? (Please correct me.)

Now....Isn't it a bit late?
When do you disconnect the autopilot? It's supposed to be visual! Do you need to fly it manually (to get a full 30 degree bank)?
Won't there be a distraction to the pilot flying to make these configuration changes, and then ask him to verify the landing checks below a 1000ft (400-500?) in marginal weather? eek: (ok, airbus has ECAM):
What about his inner ear with the head movement?
Please consider aircraft limiting conditions - Max landing weight, high temperatures and high pressure altitudes (high TAS).
Is it possible to have 'one' procedure with config stages, for both types of aircraft?
Just curious what the world does! ;)
Ta.

[411A]

Safety_worker---
Not so much the aircraft manufacturer as the individual airline.
All airlines that I have worked for require "gear down" at the final approach fix, with approach flap (intermediate) setting, and landing flap selected when on the final descent to the runway. Note that this could be from base leg or from final. I was trained this way by (the original) Pan American and it seemed to work very well for the B707. Later on in the TriStar, same procedures. This has the added advantage for the new F/O's in that they need only call for landing flap when required.
Simple concise procedures lead to safety. Others try to reinvent the wheel, which makes no sense whatsoever, IMHO.

[QNH1013]

Here is the Boeing circle to land...
(737-300/400/500 Both Engines Operating)

The circling approach should be flown with langing gear down, flaps 15 and at flaps 15 maneuvering speed.

Maintain MDA (ALT HOLD mode) and use Heading Select for tracking. The Circling must be excecuted at or above MDA and Visual contact must be maintained at all times.

Prior to turning Base leg, select landing flaps and beging decelerating to the approach speed (Vref + 5). This assures minimum turning radius to the runway. Complete the landing checklist. Do not decend below MDA until intercepting normal visual glide path.

Leaving MDA, disconnect the autopilot. After intercepting the visual profile, cycle both Flight Directors to OFF then ON. This eliminates unwanted commands and allows Flight Director guidance in the event of a Go-Around.

************

Well, variations will apply depending on company procedures and type of Boeing aircraft but I'm sure they will not differ too widely from the Boeing recommended procedures. Hope this is of some help...

[safety_worker]

Silky, When do you take the gear and full flaps?
QNH1013, do you have a landing checklist 'holding at flaps' procedure for this, or, do you start the whole checklist when flaps30 is selected?
A few questions -
1. How many circling approaches have you done in the lst 2 years?
2. How often do you train/practice this manoeuver?(including go-arounds)
Not trying to re-invent the wheel. Just curious to see if a 'standard' safe procedure across the airline which flies both types of aircraft, can be established.
Curious, how often operators practice / refresher train their pilots for this manoeuver.

[Slick]

SW, hi, just to add to 1013 post disconect autothrottle as well (Boeing). Checklist will be 'gear down flap 15 landing checklist down to flaps'

Best Rgds

[safety_worker]

Silky - 1500AAL for a circling? Shouldn't it be at MDA? Or does y0ur company specify 1500AAl or MDA whichever higher? Which aircraft do you fly?

Thoughts are not posted here, just the procedures? Please read my first post. I am interested in how the piot 'feels' flying the laid down procedure.
Ta all.

[Checkboard]

We use down to 400 feet obstacle clearance by day, if necessary,

MDA by night,

1000 feet AAL for day time practice, and

1500 feet for a visual circuit.

400' circling maybe once a year or so, 1000/MDA once every month or six weeks, 1500' visual circuit three or four times a month.

[crossfeedclosed]

Circling approaches should be banned by the authorities as inherently unstable and unsafe especially at night. They are not suitable for an airliner whatever about a light aircraft. Most landing accidents recently came from some kind of non-precision approach. Circling apchs are the worst kind of non-precision approach.

[safety_worker]

When trained and practiced profficiently, they are 'fun'. Some airports 'require' them, e.g. Karachi 07L off 25R.
The question here is....please read 1st post. ;)

[olivasnooze]

As mentioned in a smiliar topic, delaying the selection of landing flap until base or final keeps the GPWS active. (EGPWS for the flash new types).

[safety_worker]

Olivasnooze -
Good point. Which is that 'other forum'?

[Black_Dawn]

Safety_Worker

i think Olivasnooze refer to a thread i started on june 20, about circling approaches techniques.

sorry,i don't know how to refer the URL

B_D

[olivasnooze]

Thanks Black Dawn, correct.
I dont know the URL either.
I know this reason plays a large part in my employers procedure.