PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - How does your company describe circling approaches?
Old 18th December 2013 | 02:49
  #133 (permalink)  
OK465
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Joined: May 2011
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From: BOQ
With the visibility required for the Cat C or Cat D airplanes being 3 miles and an MDA of a bit more than 3000 feet AGL (almost from the final approach fix, FAF) the airport/runway (Rwy33) should be able to be seen within a short time of departing the FAF inbound, at an angle of about 60 degrees or so to the right of the nose.
Your referring to the VOR/DME A here, CAT C/D. You better look at that again.

http://155.178.201.160/d-tpp/1313/00588VDGA.PDF

Even if you descend from the 9000' FAF to the rather high MDA of 8540' in 0.4 NM, that puts you at 2995' above the threshold 3.0 NM from the runway. Sure you can see it with 3 mile viz, but that's nearly a 10 degree FPA down to the runway. You aren't going to make it on that pass with a leisurely 60 degree right turn in. In fact you probably can't get in to 33 from this approach without turning your back at some point to the runway.

The preferable IAP to get into 33, in fact all the way down to an even lower 1300' OVC with 3 miles viz and winds, for example 330 at 30 in blowing snow is to fly the LOC to 15 to the lower 6800' MDA and circle southwest for a left turn into 33....using wind adjusted headings (geometry) and wind adjusted timing (stopwatch).

http://155.178.201.160/d-tpp/1313/00588LD15.PDF

Miss safely if things don't go your way....or divert early if you're not approved for it or if you calmly assess even trying it to be 'nuts'. I'm not pushing doing something beyonds one's capability or authority.

But gaining unrestricted circling qualification on the LOC 27 circle to land 18R at MEM certainly neither prepares nor realistically qualifies you for this brand of circling approach, and doesn't distinguish between the two.
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