Heard on the air....

[Ed Guthrie]

Yep, you're both right. I edited the post. Shows how faulty memory is when you have to make a quick decision. I "remembered" it being in AIM as a strongly suggested, not mandatory procedure. I won't make that mistake again! Live and Learn.

It was the GPS 22 when the active was 28 (which didn't have an approach). When I broke out, I realized about a 10 degree turn to the left would line me up with right base for 28 without having to fly the whole loop.

Shoulda done the loop. My bad!

Unless otherwise noted, if circling is approved off the approach then circle to land authorizes circling in either direction. You didn't do anything wrong or illegal. The applicable regulation (and the phrase everyone in this thread has ignored is:

§ 91.126 Operating on or in the vicinity of an airport in Class G airspace.
(a) General. Unless otherwise authorized...

The instrument procedure is authorization ("otherwise authorized") to circle in either direction. With that in mind, I would be interested in reading the full details of the bust Lance F. mentioned--there is obviously a critical detail missing.

 

[wsuffa]

Unless otherwise noted, if circling is approved off the approach then circle to land authorizes circling in either direction. You didn't do anything wrong or illegal. The applicable regulation (and the phrase everyone in this thread has ignored is:

§ 91.126 Operating on or in the vicinity of an airport in Class G airspace.
(a) General. Unless otherwise authorized...

The instrument procedure is authorization ("otherwise authorized") to circle in either direction. With that in mind, I would be interested in reading the full details of the bust Lance F. mentioned--there is obviously a critical detail missing.

I would, too.

We had that discussion about a month ago (after I had a similar discussion with a DE on a non-instrument checkride). The DE and I are of the opinion that it's OK to do the right turn to the runway if the ceiling is way down, but if it's high enough you should join the pattern and fly a normal left pattern. There are a number of places where ground fog might well put part of the normal pattern into the soup, so flying an opposite direction base-to-final may be the only way to get in.

 

[bstratt]

Unless otherwise noted, if circling is approved off the approach then circle to land authorizes circling in either direction. You didn't do anything wrong or illegal. The applicable regulation (and the phrase everyone in this thread has ignored is:

§ 91.126 Operating on or in the vicinity of an airport in Class G airspace.
(a) General. Unless otherwise authorized...

The instrument procedure is authorization ("otherwise authorized") to circle in either direction. With that in mind, I would be interested in reading the full details of the bust Lance F. mentioned--there is obviously a critical detail missing.

Hmm, I was cleared for the GPS 22, and told to advise when I had visual. When I broke out I told them I had the airport in sight. They told me I was cleared for the visual to RWY 28. My recollection is that the ceilings were just above the TPA, so to fly the TPA would have been like scud running but could have been done.

 

[gismo]

I would, too.

We had that discussion about a month ago (after I had a similar discussion with a DE on a non-instrument checkride). The DE and I are of the opinion that it's OK to do the right turn to the runway if the ceiling is way down, but if it's high enough you should join the pattern and fly a normal left pattern. There are a number of places where ground fog might well put part of the normal pattern into the soup, so flying an opposite direction base-to-final may be the only way to get in.

I'm pretty sure the case I was referring to (I'll try to find it but I'm not very good at such research) involved an approach that at least terminated in VMC. I don't believe the decision in that case addressed circling in IMC, and I also believe quite strongly that baring restrictions to the contrary on the approach plate, circling is allowed in either direction when conditions are below VFR minimums and/or when the direction of turns during a circling approach will affect safety.

What I don't believe and what I remember being supported by the case I mentioned is that being on an IFR approach by itself allows a pilot to deviate from the requirement to make turns in a particular direction at an uncontrolled airport especially for the convenience of the airplane's occupants.

Edit: all I can find so far is a few references to an Alaska Airlines pilot whose certificate was suspended for making a turn to final in the wrong direction.

 

[SCCutler]

If I emerge from the deck at or just above pattern altitude and have the choice to either fly a full pattern or to make a right-base as described above, I believe it would often be a poor choice to execute the full pattern; PD as to the particular circumstances, but if the ceiling is close to TPA, you cannot know that it will be that high all the way around the pattern. Circle-to-land operations after genuine non-precision instrument approaches are higher-risk anyway.