Il Duce – when I left The Mob, the procedure had (only then recently) changed to:
“Radar to visual” – descend aircraft to minimum vectoring chart altitude (under the appropriate ATSOCAS radar service) and ‘point aeroplane at the aerodrome’ and put him to Tower when ‘visual below’ when pilot was able to continue under VFR and assumed responsibility for traffic avoidance; clearly only used when weather was fairly good (Blu, Wht at worse) and VMC could be readily achieved. (Fundamentally a ‘Cloud Break to achieve VMC below').
“Radar to Initial” – vector and descend aircraft down to SMAC chart level - as chevvron describes (500ft terrain clearance in Final Approach Sector) - to a position approaching ‘Initial’ (deadside of runway centreline, usually at 3NM out) under appropriate ATCOSAS until visual with circuit environment, when of course pilot will be VMC and be able to effect separation from other circuit traffic before radar separation was compromised (Yeah –right!
). If not ‘visual’ approaching Initial, turn outbound to join the instrument pattern for the inevitable fuel priority PAR/ILS! If – after coordination with Tower - the circuit was clear, descent could be continued to the Cat E circling minima when within 4NM of the aerodrome. This mainly ‘fast jet’ procedure could be used in weather down to Grn limits. The problem here was one man’s circuit VMC was not necessarily another’s!
However, it worked until the Captain or Duty Officer Flying pushed the limits too far.
This was a long time ago now and I’m not saying this is current practice and things may well have changed……