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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. |
Originally Posted by EXDAC
(Post 11930806)
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. 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.) It even uses RWY 7 as an example! |
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? |
Originally Posted by EXDAC
(Post 11931456)
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? |
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:
Circling approach. An extension of an instrument approach procedure which provides for visual circling of the 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. |
Circling approach. An extension of an instrument approach procedure which provides for visual circling of the 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 :E |
Look at KPHX they regularly issue sidestep clearances.
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wo 30/45 degree heading changes to a parallel course are not part of a circling procedure. |
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