Circling approach
 

How do you perform a circling approach in your company... (procedure and technique)?

BD

BD,

Initial (ILS or other) APP with mid settings - Flap15 + Gear down on present type - to Circling Min.

Breakoff when field in sight 45deg R/L then fly 20sec (or time 45seconds including first turn) then downwind heading. If permitted (depends if FAA or JAA certified) use A/P to assist lookout.

Time after abeam (good for 800ft) 25secs +/- wind adjustment,

Flap 25, turn base, A/P off, Nail Glideslope, keep R/W in sight.

When final assured flap final setting (30 or 40) Vref + corrections.

This is the basic method. Variations possible for extra high downwind (Nice) or low downwind (rule of thumb - after abeam time three seconds per 100ft height.

Hope it is of use. FC.

[This message has been edited by Few Cloudy (edited 20 June 2001).]

Very reluctantly and only if there are no other alternatives.

Small variations in my company/aircraft:

We have two breakoff possible:
45¡ with 35 seconds
30¡ with 50 seconds
Time after "abeam threshold" 30 seconds, wind correction -1 second/2 knots tailwind (no headwind normally as mainreason for circling is to have the wind on the nose when on final).
Tolerance on MDA or circling altitude +0/-100

All in all a very enjoyable and challenging manoeuvre to fly (try GEN at nite with northely winds) :)

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... cut my wings and I'll die ...

Thanks for the reply

i've heard about someone using landing flap even in the downwind leg during the circling: is any one of you, out there, using this procedure? (i mean in heavy jets).

thanks

fly4fud---
With the FAA, if you tried the +0/-100' during the circling maneuver, it would be failure time.

Usually not with landing flap on downwind as you lose GPWS.

If your company will allow it, the 80/260 or 90/270 degree is a 'quick and dirty' that works well for the reciprocal of the runway you did the approach on. If you wish do do it gear down, proceed as for a normal straight in landing - ie gear down, approach flap. At circling limits, add power to maintain altitude, track down the runway centerline visually to the threshold and commence a rate one right turn to 80 degrees off your heading. Upon reaching that, crank in an immediate left rate one turn. If you've done everything right, when you hit 260 degrees of turn you're on final.
Next time you're in the sim, try it to find out if you need to use 80 or 90 degrees in the initial turn - thus 260 or 270 degrees to put you on final. For some reason, Gulfstreams needed 80/260 and Fokkers 90/270 degrees for it to work properly.

Approach flap and gear up until visual on downwind.

Only problem with 80/260 and 90/270 turns is that you are supposed to keep the runway in sight during a circling approach.

Why would anyone flying a high speed jet transport a/c even consider doing a low level BWC?...unless you want to kill yourself that is, build up your stress levels or scare the living daylights out of your pax! There is ALWAYS an alternative.

The FAA insists on maintaining the circling altitude until established on final track, which means that for a large airplane you will be out a long way on final or else you will be high on glidepath. ICAO allows descent when on the normal glide path, which usually happens on base leg. Am I right about this? The subject gets confusing.

I also believe that if you are circling you are not flying IFR any longer, but are visual. This means that visual limits apply (in sight of ground or water and clear of cloud). It seems reasonable to me that flying in and out of the cloud base makes no sense. Better to drop down a hundred feet and maintain visual.

Many of you believe that a circling approach should not be flown in a large airplane, and some even maintain that an NDB approach is not on. If you never practice them, I suppose you should not try, but for the real pilots out there (there must be a few left) don't pay those people any mind. When the weather is bad and the aids have gone down due to power failures, the circling approach might be all that is left to you. You will feel a lot better knowing that you can handle it than to be in the state of panic those 'experts' will be experiencing.
You can practice the circling/visual/non-precision approaches on line in good weather, or in the sim (ask the Instructor!) in any weather or vis you want.

A diversion might not be available to you, and even if it is, you could be faced with a worse combination of weather and approaches at the alternate, and in addition you will have minimum fuel.

This is yet another example of attempting to regulate safety. It will never work.

Boofhead--
The FAA allows descent from the circling MDA,
during normal descent to landing, ie: from base leg if that is the "normal" descent point that you would normally use, all things being normal, of course. http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/eek.gif

411A, Jeppensen ATC chapter:

Descent below MDA(H) should not be made until:
a. visual reference has been established and can be maintained
b. the pilot has the landing threshold in sight; and
c. the required obstacle clearance can be maintained and the aircraft is in a position to carry out a landing
NOTE: The procedure does not provide protection from obstacles when the aircraft is below the OCA/H; MDA/H

All this to say that given the conditions above, this text would permit to leave the MDA even in the downwind. Remember, as stated by "boofhead", this is a visual approach procedure!

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... cut my wings and I'll die ...

fly4fud---
Yes agreed, that's what the Jeppesen manual says but, if you were to descend from say, 600 feet (MDA) on the downwind leg during an FAA type ride, the FAA inspector would have your pink slip filled out before the motion was off in the sim. Like it or not, that's the way it is, and has been for many years. CAA may well be different, of course.

Jeppesen ATC Section on Air Traffic Control US-382: Section 4 Arrival Procedures Ref 5-4-18f states:-

blah blah blah..."Pilots should remain at or above the circling altitude until the aircraft is continuously in a position from which a decent to landing on the intended runway can be made at a normal rate of decent using normal procedures.......

Basic rules apply.
1) maneuver the shortest path to the base or downwind leg as apprpriate considering existing weather conditions

2) keep the runway in sight etc

So your correct if you descend from MCA level off and then continue dscent to the landing the Feds will bust you, just as they would if you stray outside the protected area. Obviously, you are flying at an altitude that doesnt make the necessary obstacle clearance.

5-4-18 also prescribes Circling Approach Radii.

App Cat Radius
A 1.3 miles
B 1.5 miles
c 1.7 miles
D 2.3 miles
E 4.5 miles

all measured from the end of all runways (if you see what I mean)

[This message has been edited by Gspot (edited 26 June 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Gspot (edited 26 June 2001).]

Right Way Up, told ya it was "quick and dirty." :)

411A, have to agree with you. If you descended below circling limits until established on final, it was back to the dugout.

Pigboat,

I'm not sure that you have to be on final.

If your a Cat C aircraft and the Circling minimum is say 6ooFt agl then if you remain in an area prescribed by drawing intersecting circles of 1.7 miles radius from the center of the end of each runway at the airport, not just the runway you are attempting to use, and remain at 600' until the point where you can initiate a constant descent rate, then you are in protected airspace and guaranteed adequate terrain clearance. You could conceivabley be on base. http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/confused.gif

In Oz MDA (minimum descent alt) for circling is the minimum altitude for the instrument approach in IMC.

Once visual within the circling area you can legally come down to the lower OCA (obstacle clearance alt.) if required for example to remain visual. Our AIP elaborates and specifically states that descent below MDA can occur on base or downwind if required for normal descent to the threshold.

Once established on final descent below OCA can occur to the threshold.

What I want to know is; is it legal to bump your category UP to get a bigger circling area and more comfortable approach speeds at the expense of a higher MDA and OCA? It seems to be common practice here.


[This message has been edited by daytrader (edited 27 June 2001).]

I wonder if Boofheads second name is "cowboy "?....and does he fly heavy jets professionally?...I wonder!