I'm trying to understand how do these properly with RC. Today I took a flight from DFW to San Angelo Regional (SJT). Winds were 350 at 22, so runway 36 was my preference, but SJT's only ILS runway is 3, so that's the runway intially assigned by approach. Ceiling and visibility were adequate for a visual approach (vis 18, ceiling 5000 as a matter of fact), so I requested 36 and got the usual "expect vectors to runway 36 approach". The menu option "Req Vis App" seems to really just say you have the field in sight, not that you want to make a visual approach but may not be anywhere near ready to land, so I decided to see where the vectors would take me. Shortly I was on the downwind leg, at which point I really did see the field, but still waited for more vectors. Eventually I was turned onto base, then was told I was x miles (forgot the exact number, but around 20 I think) southeast of the field and to turn to 330 until intercepting the final approach course. When I finally did see the field again I a ways off to the left, but hit the "Req Vis App" option and was told to contact tower and was cleared to land and had sufficient time to get line up. Is the way it is supposed to work?Mark Kuebeler

Mark,This is where the misunderstanding may be:>>The menu option "Req Vis App" seems to really just say you have the field in sight, not that you want to make a visual approach but may not be anywhere near ready to land...<

Thank you, I see now what it does. And while you can obviously go visual pretty much as soon as you enter the Approach control space, it may only make the most sense not to do so until you've been vectored towards the final approach course. Possibly at a small regional airport you could request a visual as soon as you see the field, drop into the pattern and land, but I suspect that wouldn't go over too well at someplace like O'Hare. :)Related followup question: how does one request a cirle-to-land approach? What I did under VFR conditions would not have been correct under IFR conditions. I wanted to use Rwy 36 to avoid the 17kt crosswind on the ILS runway 3, but there are no instrument approaches for 36. From what I know of IFR flying, an option is to request the ILS 3 approach with cirle-to-land on 36 once you get within visual range. Given the layout at SJT this would've been pretty easy. RC lets me request a runway without an ILS, and it seems to know it doesn't have one (since it shows 0/0 for the approach course and frequency). Would you just request a "full IAP" and have at it?Mark Kuebeler

Mark,>>...while you can obviously go visual pretty much as soon as you enter the Approach control space, it may only make the most sense not to do so until you've been vectored towards the final approachcourse.<>...how does one request a cirle-to-land approach?<>Would you just request a "full IAP" and have at it?<

>>>...how does one request a cirle-to-land approach?<<>A somewhat weak area of RC, mostly due to lack of demand. If I>remember correctly, we're clearing for a "visual approach",>then at a parameter clearing you to land "rwy xx". That rwy>clearance will contradict the rwy you want, and that I know of>there's currently no way to make that request. I don't think>that'll come up on the critique though.No problem, I stopped worrying about the critiques after the first good one. :)Thanks again!Mark Kuebeler