Fly the Sim
Thanks very much for the October 2013 “Simplified Circling” article by Dog Brenneman. He mentioned that “we just don’t get a lot of circling practice.”
I’ve been regularly flying the Redbird FMX motion simulator to practice circle-to-land maneuvers. I set the ceiling so that tight altitude control is required and adjust visibility, rain, day/night and wind choices to increase the challenge.
Readback: February 2014
Key Takeaways:
- Simulators are excellent tools for practicing challenging maneuvers like circling approaches, but current regulations mandate that specific elements of an Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC), such as the circling approach and landing, must be performed in an actual aircraft.
- Circling approaches are complex and potentially hazardous, requiring pilots to understand chart details like new circling dimension icons and utilize techniques such as a 20-second rule of thumb for turn timing.
- Pilots must diligently interpret approach chart notes, as restrictions like "NA at night" typically indicate unlit obstacle penetration of visual areas, and be aware of technical issues that can affect approach availability on GPS navigators.
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