Circling Approach

[drom 0]

Hi Bryan,I've been doing a few circling approaches in preparation for doing the next lot of flow charts but have run into a just couple of small issues.Basically I'm assuming that for whatever reason the pilot whom is following an IAP has decided due to winds or some other factor that he'd like to complete a circle to land and come in from the opposite direction.I've set circling approach in the brief, the airport that I'm practicng at (YBBN) has a CAT 4 Circling MDA of 850 feet. Accordingly I'm bugging 900ft(850+50) MDA on the altimeter.I'm decending according to the ILS profile, capturing the localiser however not arming the approach. Soon after my gear is down with flaps 20 and Landing Checks are just before the Flaps 30 call. I use VS to maintain a 3 degree decent profile & set the missed approach altitude for the original approach in the MCP after engaging V/S.At 1000ft I get '100 above' 'Check' which is all good and since I have the field in site so I don't initiate a maintain. Upon reaching 900ft PF calls 'Land', the FO calls 'Circle to Land'. I engage ALT HOLD here(I'll recommend lowering the V/S just before reaching MDA as I found more often than not I was breaking through the MDArestriction with a 1000+ V/S decent).Okay here I start the clock (the PF actually calls for a "1000ft AGL" check here but most MDA won't be exactly 1000ft AGL. The FO however correctly reports the altitude) & then start a 45 degress turn. I begin my downwind track after 45s, begin the stopwatch again when abeam the touchdown point with a 27s downwind track thereafter (adjusting for wind) and then make a turn base and then turn final. Once on final I set flaps 30 disconnect the autopilot and autothrottle and go visual to the threshold.I get the "Landing checklist complete" call after Flaps 30 however the PF does not call for flight directors off nor does the FO turn them off. What is the trigger for getting the FO to turn the FD off?Apart from the missing F/D call does that sound right?Second unrelated question, on the CAT 3B ILS in your monitored approach tutorial does not include a 1000ft AGL check. However the profile includes one so I was wondering if a 1000ft check is actually occurs on a CAT 2/3 landing or not?CheersJeremy

[byork 2,260]

Hello Jeremy,Aside from the check at the initial ASA indication, I don't see a specific 1000 AGL check, just one over the outer marker.If you want to make a 1000 AGL check: Click the upper left button on the chronometer for the height check.For the F/D's on a circling approach: I'll have to go digging through my code to see. It should be there as I seem to recall adding it in... will double check on that...Cheers,Bryan

[drom 0]

Aye you are quite right, I am indeed losing it. *:-* For some reason I automatically associated starting the stop watch with the 1000 AGL check as I use the chronometer as my timer.Jeremy