Circling versus Mins

The whole thing started when a reader asked about an approach to a Runway 26 that had the note, Rwy 26 Straight-in and Circling minimums NA at night. Why doesnt it just say the approach is NA at night? the reader asked. We agreed thats what it seemed to say, but we also wondered why it was said in so awkward a manner. So, we investigated and the answer we found surprised all of us.

Key Takeaways:

• Circling minimums refer to the operational limits for a circling maneuver and do not automatically preclude a straight-in landing if other conditions are met.
• The note "Rwy 26 Straight-in and Circling minimums NA at night" does not imply the entire approach is unusable at night.
• Instead, it means you cannot use the straight-in minimums for Runway 26, nor can you use the approach's circling minimums to land specifically on Runway 26 at night.
• This specific wording still allows for the possibility of using the approach's circling minimums to land on a different runway (e.g., Runway 08) at night.

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