If I could just pour some cold water on our more passionate members for a second...
The original query was "How does your company
describe circling approaches?"
I would like to know how other companies describe the circling approach procedure, specifically the base turn to final from downwind.
(Bearing in mind the responses that we should be able to do it all manually anyway etc etc, this is a particularly specific question about why the timing is the way it is.)
I didn't ask how to circle, although hearing other pilots thoughts about is always nice.
I think the answer is that is up to the operator to specify how to do it, in the context of obstacle safe area and actual visibility.
Thanks for all the replies.