NFR, the type of aircraft would be handy here as would the airport concerned.
Visual approach at night. Maintain not below the LSALT or RAD LSALT if assigned until established in the circling area. From 3000' he would be after about ten track miles to tpuchdown I'd think.
The problem with requesting a five mile final is that you are then sweating on 5.28 nm to get within the circling area to get down. A five mile final gives you about .3 of a nm to be within the circling area and down to the Cat D circling minima. If you go for a 3 mile final, you get within the circling area a lot further across base and can then fly an oblique base leg to get onto final.
Melbourne from the west for a visual onto 34 is one of the interesting ones. Last RAD LSALT can mean that you may get caught in the situation above (I think, can't remember for sure as it's been ages since I've done that one).
Have to be honest though and say that I haven't seen the DME steps plate pulled out much by any of the blokes I fly with and certainly don't recall briefing it or being briefed on it as part of the information available for a visual approach although I'll certainly keep it in the back of my mind from now on!
The point that I should follow on from that is that most blokes just don't call visual at night from 30 miles. Rather, they wait for what they know is the RAD LSALT and then call it. The logic there is that ATC will/should keep you above the steps and terrain and all we need to do is check it. Calling visual early means that all of a sudden it transfers the workload and responsibility to the crew. I know which I prefer workload wise!!
Hope that helps NFR. Either it was a Virgin a/c or you're incredibly polite. If it was QF, it seems to me that most people sink the boot in!
