circling approach A320
 

Recently during a simulator refresher, I was made to do a circling approach. During approach preparation, I insert the circling approach MDA of the runway, I was going to shoot the approach initially, not the intended runway for landing, as I believe it is the right thing to do... but sim instructor did not agree and asked me to insert the circling approach MDA of the intended runway for landing.. later back home, I tried to find what does manual says.. I could not locate any mentioning about it in writing in the FCOMs... :ugh:

do you have some light to throw on it?


cheers

From the UK AIP (precis, not quote): The way they derive Circling OCH is by drawing arcs round each (or all) thresholds and joining them with tangential lines. Thus, for any given a/c Category, the Circling MDA should be the same for both (all) runways. However, this minimum can be sectorised so that obstacles in an area that won't be used for circling may be ignored.

To answer your question, perhaps it is necessary that you explain why, in your example, the MDAs were different.

Oh, and I certainly believe that you use the Circ MDA for the approach you are flying. How can it be otherwise? And I'm a sim instructor, too...

2 cents
 

Using the MDA for the runway you are making the approach to is a bust where I work, always use circling MDA, CONF3 gear down, 5 sec/100FT AGL on the timing (+/- 1 sec / KT of tail wind), gear down and final checks on base. Activate SEC FP on downwind.

A question I ask myself in this situation is what protection do I have once I break-off from an instrument approach( assuming not runway aligned) for circling/manouevring?

Flying lower than the circling MDA in marginal wx is asking for trouble.

Dreamland pretty much sums it up during the downwind manouevre. This procedure may vary slightly with each company.