Topper,
If you are flying a JAA registered aircraft,as stated above your STRAIGHT IN approach category will be dependent of your Aircraft MAX landing weight VAT(1.23vsr or 1.3vso whichever higher).
As your weight decreases,your cat will remain the SAME and STRAIGHT IN Da/MDA rvrs/vis will be dependent on it.
For CIRCLING,your MDA will be dependent on your IAS,so flapless,refer to uour speed and circling chart.
The higher your actual speed,the higher the MDA.
If your speed is higher than the max circling IAS (ie ICAO 205kts),then you are not allowed to circle or if you have no other choice than to circle , stay within the radius for the max 205 kts,i think 5.3 miles and use greater bank angle.(more than 20 degrees).
Always stay within the protected radius,unless in that case you are visual and you are 100 perc sure visual wil be maintained and all terrain is clearly visible.
So 2 different things: One is AIRCRAFT CATEGORY (a/b/c ect based on VAT) and second is CIRCLING CATEGORY (also named a/b/c which causes the confusion) based on your IAS during circling which will has a specific max radius to it.
If you circle at 170 kts your circling cat will be C.
If you are circling at 185 kts(you will be using minima for circling category D).
Based on your circle category,you will need to check the circling radius that goes with it.((pan ops,terps..which is seen on the jepp charts).
On the b 737 ,standard circle is with flaps 15,so Cat C all time.
Last edited by de facto; 24th Sep 2012 at 12:18.