CIRCLE TO LAND

‘Circling’ is a visual segment of an instrument approach that allows us to land on a different runway than the one for which an approach was intended.

The approach is flown to MDA. If, at MDA, the runway intended for landing is in sight, the airplane is flown visually to a position for an approach on the new final track.

The descent can be flown to above MDA if VMC prevail. We cannot continue the approach beyond MAPt, our missed approach point, if we do not have the runway in sight and must instead fly the missed approach procedure.

When compared to the standard instrument approach which we covered in an earlier post, the order of actions in this manoeuvre have slightly changed.

Like the IAP, we establish on the localizer. However, the configuration for landing prior to reaching our FAP should in this case only involve flaps. This means that we will fly with only flaps takeoff and our gear retracted!

This allows us to fly faster and carry less drag in the case of go around.

Our configuration flow and respective callout therefore goes as follows;

“FLAPS TAKEOFF, GEAR TO GO!”

Our landing gear will be deployed once we are on the downwind leg and the final stage of flaps once we are on final.

Once we are visual with the runway, we stop descending and continue as follows;

• Make a 45º turn (left or right, depending on the type of approach)

• Start timer (fly on this heading for 30 seconds before turning parallel)

• On downwind, callout “speed checked, gear down!” and deploy gear!

• Maintain visual contact with the runway AT ALL TIMES!
• AT NO POINT can we descend below MDA.
• Callout “downwind position” and receive new go around procedure.

• Abeam the threshold, start timer and fly out for a calculated time before starting our 180º turn to establish on final.

Outbound Time Calculation:
Time (in seconds) = MDH (in feet) / 30

For example, if our minimum descent height is 500 ft., we should fly outbound for around 17 seconds before starting our 180º turn to final.

Once we are on final, we select our landing flaps and complete the final checklist. We then fly the approach and land as we normally would.