Originally Posted by
hans brinker
You are confusing things imho. Most plates for straight in approaches will have circling minimums published as well as straight in minimums. If the angle/steepness are too big there will only be circling minimums, if terrain/regulations forbid circling there will only be straight in minimums.
Off course you cannot circle to land if you fly the straight in approach to straight in minimums, but you can circle if you fly the approach to circling minimums, and you are not in anyway restricted by a general rule from circling back to the straight in runway.
In your example with the following weather:
visibility 3km
no clouds
wind 160/11
The VOR 16 has the following minima:
Straight in 1000'AFE
Circling 1200"AFE
MAPT for both is the VOR on the field.
On the straight in you will need at least 5km visibility (3Mi) to see the runway in time to make an approach and landing using normal stabilized approach criteria, so you will not be able to successfully land straight in, and you cannot accept circling for RWY34 due to the wind. You can however accept the VOR16 circle to land 16. You fly the approach to circling minimums, will see the runway before the missed approach point, circle around, within the protected area to RWY 16 and land RWY16. As long as you are approved for circling, and ATC clears you this is perfectly legal.
DOC 8168 defition of circling :
Visual manoeuvring (circling) is the term used to describe the phase of flight after an instrument approach has been completed. It brings the aircraft into position for landing on a runway which is not suitably located for straight-in approach, i.e. one where the criteria for alignment or descent gradient cannot be met.
In our scenario this is not true. The above, for me, is more than enough to consider Your example of circling for runway 16 not legal at all, as there is a perfectly working IAP for that runway with a more than suitable alignment/descent gradient. Since we are discussing legality, this is what, IMHO, any safety investigation would bring up should there be an event out of this kind of approach.