How do you fly a circling approach and circle to land?

In real-world aviation and flight simulation, fly a circling approach by following the published instrument procedure to circling minima, keeping the required visual references in sight, and manoeuvring within the protected area to the landing runway. Stay at or above circling MDA until a normal descent is possible; otherwise go missed.

Exact visibility requirements, protected-area dimensions and missed-approach rules vary by country, charting system and operator. The applicable approach chart and operating rules always take precedence.

Circling approach versus a visual approach

A circle-to-land is an IFR instrument approach followed by a visual manoeuvre; it is not simply a normal VFR circuit or a visual approach. The published final course may point towards another runway, approach the intended runway from the opposite direction, or fail the alignment or descent criteria required for straight-in minima.

The aircraft remains on an IFR clearance during the circle. A visual approach is a different clearance and does not use circling MDA in the same way; our guide to visual-approach planning and landing technique covers that separate procedure.

Which circling minima and aircraft category should you use?

Use the circling MDA and visibility published for the aircraft's applicable approach category, never the straight-in minima for the runway served by the instrument course.

• Aircraft category: This is normally derived from Vref, if specified, or 1.3 Vso at maximum certificated landing weight under the applicable system. Do not select a lower category merely because the aircraft is light. If the planned circling speed exceeds the category limit, use the next applicable higher-category minima.
• Circling MDA: Treat minimum descent altitude as a hard floor until the aircraft is positioned for a normal landing. On an ILS flown for a circle-to-land, level at circling MDA rather than following the glideslope towards the lower straight-in decision altitude.
• Visibility: Published visibility is a minimum, not a recommended value. More visibility may be needed at night, in strong wind, around high terrain or when the landing runway is difficult to identify.
• Ceiling: MDA is expressed above mean sea level, while a reported ceiling is normally above ground level. Where ceiling requirements apply, compare them with the charted height above aerodrome, not the raw MDA figure.
• Restrictions: Check for prohibited sectors, runway-specific restrictions, night limitations and notes such as CIRCLING NA. If no circling minima are published, the manoeuvre is not authorised from that procedure.

The selected category matters because the protected circling area is category-dependent. Higher speed produces a larger turn radius, and using Category A minima while flying a Category B or C ground track can take the aircraft outside protected airspace.

How do you fly a circle-to-land manoeuvre step by step?

The safe sequence is to brief the complete manoeuvre before the final approach fix, fly to circling minima, establish visual contact and then use a compact, controlled pattern to reach the landing runway.

1. Brief the whole procedure: Identify the instrument runway and course, intended landing runway, circling MDA, visibility, aircraft category, missed approach, terrain, wind and any prohibited circling sector. Decide which direction the circle will use, subject to the chart, ATC instructions and local traffic direction.
2. Configure and slow early: Reach MDA at a stable speed and configuration that permit level manoeuvring without rushing. The intended circling speed must remain within the category whose minima and protected area are being used.
3. Fly the published instrument segment: Observe every altitude, course and step-down fix until visual manoeuvring can begin. If this portion is unfamiliar, review the complete instrument-approach sequence rather than improvising the descent.
4. Identify the landing runway positively: Confirm runway numbers, lighting, orientation and threshold position. Parallel runways and nearby roads are common sources of mistaken identification. Seeing the airport is not enough if the required runway environment cannot be identified.
5. Begin the circle only from a suitable position: Do not leave the protected instrument course merely because the airport has appeared through a gap in cloud. Start when visual references can be maintained and the aircraft can remain within the protected circling area.
6. Fly a compact level pattern: Remain at or above circling MDA, keep the runway environment in sight and adjust the ground track for wind. The manoeuvre may resemble downwind, base and final, but it is often tighter than a normal VFR circuit. Our explanation of traffic-pattern geometry and wind correction is useful for practising this visual positioning.
7. Turn towards final without forcing it: Judge the base turn from groundspeed, wind and runway position rather than a fixed timer. If the aircraft overshoots final or needs excessive bank to recover, abandon the landing instead of tightening the turn close to the ground.
8. Descend only when landing is assured: Leave MDA when the required visual references remain identifiable and a continuous descent using normal manoeuvres and a normal rate can be made to the intended runway. Stabilise, land or go missed.

How close should you remain to the runway?

There is no universal downwind distance for a circling approach; remain inside the category-specific protected area while keeping the runway environment readily identifiable.

A mistake we see repeatedly is flying a wide airline-style visual circuit. The circling boundary is finite and often invisible from the cockpit, so an apparently comfortable extension can remove obstacle protection. Strong tailwind on downwind or base is especially dangerous because it enlarges the ground track even when indicated airspeed has not changed.

Use groundspeed, wind and runway position to shape the pattern, but do not crowd the runway so tightly that steep bank becomes necessary. If safe geometry cannot be maintained without a hurried turn, the correct decision is a missed approach.

When should you descend or execute the missed approach?

Descend below circling MDA only when visual-reference and normal-landing requirements are satisfied; execute a missed approach immediately when those conditions are lost or the manoeuvre becomes unstable.

• The required runway environment disappears in cloud, rain, haze or darkness.
• The aircraft's position relative to the runway is uncertain.
• Wind drift may have carried the aircraft outside the protected area.
• The base-to-final turn overshoots or demands excessive bank.
• A normal descent and stabilised landing can no longer be made.
• Traffic, an occupied runway or an ATC instruction prevents landing.

If going missed before leaving the instrument final course, follow the published procedure and its turn restrictions; this commonly means continuing towards the missed-approach point before turning. After circling has begun, the usual technique is an immediate climbing turn towards the landing runway, continuing until established on the published missed-approach track, unless the chart or operator specifies otherwise.

Do not turn directly towards the missed-approach holding fix from an arbitrary low-level position. That shortcut may leave protected airspace. Our missed-approach and go-around practice explains the power, configuration and navigation sequence in more detail.

Common circle-to-land problems in flight simulators

• Leaving approach mode engaged: Once the circle begins, an autopilot in approach mode may turn back towards the original localiser or final course. Use an appropriate heading or track mode if the aircraft permits it, or disconnect and hand-fly according to the aircraft's procedures.
• Reprogramming the FMS too early: Loading a different runway can remove or disrupt the original published missed approach. Keep the missed procedure available and avoid heads-down programming during low-level visual manoeuvring.
• Using straight-in minima: This causes an early descent, particularly when circling from an ILS. Select and brief the circling line before starting the approach.
• Ignoring groundspeed: A fast aircraft or strong downwind component produces a much wider track than expected. Reduce speed within aircraft limits or use higher-category minima when required.
• Trusting simulator ATC over the chart: Built-in ATC may issue awkward runway or circling instructions and does not guarantee that the manoeuvre respects charted restrictions. The procedure, weather and aircraft performance still determine whether the circle is safe.
• Mixing chart and scenery data: Runway numbers, lighting or airport layouts can differ when the simulator scenery and chart data represent different revisions. Resolve any mismatch before using the flight for procedural practice.