JAA VNAV Question

[canadairguy]

I was doing a Canadian proficiency check recently in a business jet sim. I gave the candidate a non-precision circling approach to a crossing runway. He used VNAV and the resulting circling ended up pretty tight. It worked out but it was more challenging than it had to be, in my opinion. In the debrief, I suggested that he would have had more room to maneuver if he had not used VNAV, had crossed the FAF at minimum altitude and descended promptly to MDA. He replied that he always uses VNAV where available because the JAA requires it. This was a TC ride so JAA policy was a non-issue but I was surprised to hear that. Does the JAA really mandate the use of VNAV, even on a circling approach?

[BizJetJock]

Not quite.
EU-OPS (which applies to commercial operators) requires that constant descent approaches are used where possible on non precision approaches. This certainly in my book equates to using VNAV to the runway for a straight in approach, but for circling you cannot do a constant descending approach to touchdown so that comes under the "where possible" getout.
I would advocate doing it the same way as you describe.

[CommandB]

Interesting thread. In my company it is SOP to use VNAV as much as possible, including circling. We have to be level in "ALT HOLD" prior to breaking off so we ensure this is met. We always pass the FAF at the minimum altitude in VNAV too. Ive never heard of the JAA requiring it though. Sometimes it is prudent to use VS instead.