A couple times the tower gave me "circle to land" commands when I was approaching the field. I wasn't sure how to respond. They also followed that with "turn right base". I ignored the turn right base command because I wasn't sure what to do and flew straight in. They OK's me to land when I was lined up with the runway.

I like to keep this guide handy anytime I'm in a 757/767. I'm sure you can convert it for a 727 with no problems. circletoland.zip (here in the AVSIM file library)-Jeremy

The "Circle to land" procedure is used when an instrument approach is only available to one runway at an airport, but the winds favor landing on a different runway (that is 30 degrees or more off the instrument approach course). In that case, the approach becomes a non-precision approach (even if it's an ILS), the minimums are increased (there is a different MDA published on the approach plate for circling approaches), and the pilot is expected to break off once the airport is in sight and enter a modified traffic pattern for another runway. It's not quite the same as flying a standard visual traffic pattern, because on a circle you are expected to keep the pattern in closer to the runway, or you run the risk of losing visual contact with the field. If you want to learn all you ever wanted to know about approach procedures, I suggest skimming the FAA's Instrument Procedures Handbook (http://www.faa.gov/library/manuals/aviation/instrument_procedures_handbook/media/CH-05.pdf), which is basically the FAA's bible on all procedural aspects of instrument flying.-MG, CFI-AIM

In FS, when you are on an IFR flight plan, ATC has a priority list of approaches and runways it will offer for landing. If there is no approach available for a particular runway, it will offer an approach to a parallel runway with "sidestep" or if not parallel "circle to land". Most often this happens if ATC assigns you an ILS approach to a runway, and you request a different runway. ATC will still want you to fly the original approach. You must separately ask for (via ATC menu inputs) the desired runway and an approach to that runway, if that's your intention. Of course, if the only approach available is a circling approach such as VOR-A, then that's what you will get.scott s..