Shamrock107
15th Nov 2003, 02:41
The last 2 days here in New Jersey have been very windy and as a result, EWR has all aircraft landing on runway 29. I've heard the tower tell incoming planes to fly the 22 ILS until 5 DME, then circle to land on 29. Could any pilots familiar with this approach explain the procedures involved? Does 29 have an ILS?
Thanks in advance.
Shamrock, I'll do my best to answer your question, but my approach plates are at work (not at home).
If you're not familiar with a circling procedure -- all in means, in a nutshell, is to fly an instrument approach for a runway, and at a certain point during that approach, you fly a visual maneuver to line up and land on another runway.
As far as EWR, I don't think there are any instrument approaches at all to Runway 29. Might be due to obstacles, buildings, etc.
If there is a cloud base, aircraft would have to shoot an instrument approach to 22 (or 04, possibly, depending on other factors), then circle to 29. The approach plates for 22L and 22R each have circling mins published, and 04L and 04R probably do too.
Even on a clear day, a normal (long-ish) visual straight-in to 29 might not be possible due to several factors, such as obstacles or interference with other air traffic flows. An approach followed by a circle would keep the EWR traffic in a more defined space.
With the winds as they've been in your area, the procedure you describe above was probably the only way to keep the airport open.