Side-step is Circling?
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From: DM33
Side-step is Circling?
My base airport KDVT has a long term, night only, closure of 7R-25L for construction. RNAV approaches are available for 7R and 25L but with a night circling limitation - "Circling NA north of Rwy 7R-25L at night". Runway 7L-25R is separated from 7R-25L by 680 feet.
At a recent pilot/controller forum pilots were told that the RNAV approaches were not available at night. The justification seemed to be that 7R-25L was closed, a sidestep is a circling maneuver, and circling North is prohibited at night.
I looked for any FAA regulation or guidance that said a side-step of 680 feet would be considered a circle to land but could not find any.
At a recent pilot/controller forum pilots were told that the RNAV approaches were not available at night. The justification seemed to be that 7R-25L was closed, a sidestep is a circling maneuver, and circling North is prohibited at night.
I looked for any FAA regulation or guidance that said a side-step of 680 feet would be considered a circle to land but could not find any.
Joined: Oct 1999
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From: Den Haag
My base airport KDVT has a long term, night only, closure of 7R-25L for construction. RNAV approaches are available for 7R and 25L but with a night circling limitation - "Circling NA north of Rwy 7R-25L at night". Runway 7L-25R is separated from 7R-25L by 680 feet.
At a recent pilot/controller forum pilots were told that the RNAV approaches were not available at night. The justification seemed to be that 7R-25L was closed, a sidestep is a circling maneuver, and circling North is prohibited at night.
I looked for any FAA regulation or guidance that said a side-step of 680 feet would be considered a circle to land but could not find any.
At a recent pilot/controller forum pilots were told that the RNAV approaches were not available at night. The justification seemed to be that 7R-25L was closed, a sidestep is a circling maneuver, and circling North is prohibited at night.
I looked for any FAA regulation or guidance that said a side-step of 680 feet would be considered a circle to land but could not find any.
SIDESTEP MANEUVER- A visual maneuver accomplished by a pilot at the completion of an instrument approach to permit a straight-in landing on a parallel runway not more than 1,200 feet to either side of the runway to which the instrument approach was conducted.
(Refer to AIM.)
(Refer to AIM.)
It even uses RWY 7 as an example!
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From: DM33
I had seen both of those references and they indicate to me that a sidestep from a 7R RNAV approach to land on 7L would not be "circle to land" and the night circling restriction would not apply.
Is that your interpretation of the references you provided?
Is that your interpretation of the references you provided?
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From: Den Haag
Joined: Mar 2002
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From: near an aeroplane
Within FAA land a Sidestep manoeuvre exists and is a special case of a circling approach. The ICAO definitions I can find in Doc 8168 say:
It does not specify whether circling means a complete circuit to get to the other side of the runway, or just a brief excursion from the glidepath to line up with a parallel runway. Both are possible. Within this same list of definitions (or the rest of the document), a sidestep is not defined.
I guess both statements are correct. A sidestep is a circling approach, which means that the restriction applies, but you could argue that with the separate definition of a sidestep manoeuvre it allows for something that is different from a 'full' circling approach.
Circling approach. An extension of an instrument approach procedure which provides for visual circling of the
aerodrome prior to landing.
aerodrome prior to landing.
I guess both statements are correct. A sidestep is a circling approach, which means that the restriction applies, but you could argue that with the separate definition of a sidestep manoeuvre it allows for something that is different from a 'full' circling approach.
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From: GA, USA
Circling approach. An extension of an instrument approach procedure which provides for visual circling of the
aerodrome prior to landing.
aerodrome prior to landing.
Two 30/45 degree heading changes to a parallel course are not part of a circling procedure.
Unless you’re going to argue the turn radius is part of the circling.
FAA - land is only pseudo ICAO anyway.
Call the FSDO that has jurisdiction over that airport or otherwise write FAA Council for a ruling/ interpretation.
* how about I drift laterally without a heading change
