How does one handle the requirement to maintain visual contact with the airport when conducting a circling approach from downwind right traffic? I have never had to do a circling right traffic maneuver during IR training, but when I fly normal right traffic VFR I lose sight of the airport for a long period of time once I get much past the approach end of the runway. It is blocked by the limited rearward view to the right on downwind, and a combination of that and the roof at the start of the turn to base. I do not pick it back up again until I am about 1/3 through the turn from downwind to base.
I haven’t timed it, but if I assume that I am flying at 90 kts, lose visual contact at about 0.2 nm past the threshold, begin my turn from downwind to base at 0.8 nm, turn at standard rate, and regain sight of the runway 1/3 through the turn, then the airport would be out of my sight for 24 seconds on downwind plus another 10 seconds in the turn for a total of about 35 seconds. 91.175 exempts the lost visibility in the turn, but how do I deal with the time on downwind? And considering that the time in the turn comes on top of the time on downwind, together they seem to run counter to the spirit of that clause.
I know that the regulation does not require visual contact with the runway, and any identifiable part of the airport qualifies. But in the examples that triggered this question (the VOR B or RNAV 7 approaches to KXLL), the approach end of runway 25 sticks out into the community and there are no other parts of the airport that extend near or past the approach threshold. Also, there is no option for left traffic when landing on runway 25, as circling to the south of 7/25 is NA due to high terrain and towers south of the airport.
So, at this airport where the prevailing winds are from the west and 25 is the most commonly used runway, and where the only 2 instrument approaches are from the west with circling to 25, how do people fly those circling approaches in compliance with 91.175? What am I missing?
I ask this question because my IR checkride will be out of KXLL and the examiner told me that the two non-precision approaches will be done there. One of which, presumably, will be the third and last of the ride and done to landing. My instructor told me to either request to do both as missed approaches and then land VFR, or to request to fly the non-precision approaches at another airport and land VFR at KXLL. But such requests seem extreme when these approaches must be flown routinely.
I haven’t timed it, but if I assume that I am flying at 90 kts, lose visual contact at about 0.2 nm past the threshold, begin my turn from downwind to base at 0.8 nm, turn at standard rate, and regain sight of the runway 1/3 through the turn, then the airport would be out of my sight for 24 seconds on downwind plus another 10 seconds in the turn for a total of about 35 seconds. 91.175 exempts the lost visibility in the turn, but how do I deal with the time on downwind? And considering that the time in the turn comes on top of the time on downwind, together they seem to run counter to the spirit of that clause.
I know that the regulation does not require visual contact with the runway, and any identifiable part of the airport qualifies. But in the examples that triggered this question (the VOR B or RNAV 7 approaches to KXLL), the approach end of runway 25 sticks out into the community and there are no other parts of the airport that extend near or past the approach threshold. Also, there is no option for left traffic when landing on runway 25, as circling to the south of 7/25 is NA due to high terrain and towers south of the airport.
So, at this airport where the prevailing winds are from the west and 25 is the most commonly used runway, and where the only 2 instrument approaches are from the west with circling to 25, how do people fly those circling approaches in compliance with 91.175? What am I missing?
I ask this question because my IR checkride will be out of KXLL and the examiner told me that the two non-precision approaches will be done there. One of which, presumably, will be the third and last of the ride and done to landing. My instructor told me to either request to do both as missed approaches and then land VFR, or to request to fly the non-precision approaches at another airport and land VFR at KXLL. But such requests seem extreme when these approaches must be flown routinely.
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