RNAV and visual approach
This question is for pilots but also ATCO's could help alot.
We were flying to Corfu (CFU) airport. While enroute looking the metar there the wind was blowing gusts of 30 knots from the south, so we had to plan for runway 17.
They have procedures for runway 35, such as VOR W 35 which is one of the most commonly used, but no procedure for 17. For 17 the ATC uses LCTR A circling procedure which is again an offset approach, but from the south like the others.
The minima are another story. VOR W 35 procedure has 2000ft minimums with 2000ft for circling. LCTR A has 1700ft circling only minima as it is an offset procedure. RNAV 35 (LNAV only) has 770ft minumums.
Since the weather there has regularly low cloud, we planned to execute RNAV runway 35, to break the clouds and then enter visual east downwind for runway 17.
But the controller didnt allow us to fly because RNAV 35 procedure does not have published circling minima. Well that was ackward, because we were not asking to circle, but to execute visual approach if we were to see the whole area below clouds, which is another story.
Anyway we were not planning to go very low, but something like 1500ft or 1200ft in worst case scenario, and then get the visual to fly the visual pattern, which is way lower than the 2000ft or 1700ft minima.
Finally we flew straight in RNAV 35 since the wind was from east and landed with 4 knots tailwind component.
In a discussion after landing with the TWR they said that they do not allow this since RNAV 35 doesnt qualify for circling minima. We said that we didnt want to fly circling approach, but a visual approach. What they said is that they handle both the same way since both are visual approaches. This is just ridiculous, it makes no sense, how a circling approach is the same as a visual approach? How they allow visual approaches from VOR W 35 to enter left hand downwind runway 17, down to traffic pattern altitude below circling minimums? Theoretically its the same path.
So, it is allowed to break an RNAV and fly a visual approach? In my opinion you can break any procedure and fly visualy, if patterns are not prohibited from this side of course. I cant find anything usefull in my books. Also some RNAV visual approaches are used throughout the world, but this is also another type of procedure.
Really interested in the technical aspect!
Please any thoughts about this, any opinions are welcomed.
Last edited by Lantirn; 22nd Oct 2018 at 20:24.