Contact Approach

Being from Texas, and flying mostly in the Midwest and South, I have never
asked for nor had any need for a contact approach. If I see the runway I
tell the controller, and he gives me a visual. In fact, I can't remember
ever hearing a contact approach requested around here.

Then, I whenever I fly into the Northeast and I hear contact approaches
being requested regularly. Why is the contact approach used so much in the
Northeast?

On Mon, 14 Feb 2005 04:53:59 GMT, "Russ MacDonald"
wrote:

Being from Texas, and flying mostly in the Midwest and South, I have never
asked for nor had any need for a contact approach. If I see the runway I
tell the controller, and he gives me a visual. In fact, I can't remember
ever hearing a contact approach requested around here.

Then, I whenever I fly into the Northeast and I hear contact approaches
being requested regularly. Why is the contact approach used so much in the
Northeast?



We're smarter than Texas pilots?

"Russ MacDonald" wrote in message
news:H9WPd.18600$uc.8876@trnddc05...

Being from Texas, and flying mostly in the Midwest and South, I have never
asked for nor had any need for a contact approach. If I see the runway I
tell the controller, and he gives me a visual.


That's not sufficient, a visual approach requires VFR conditions.

Being from Texas, and flying mostly in the Midwest and South, I have
never
asked for nor had any need for a contact approach. If I see the runway I
tell the controller, and he gives me a visual.


That's not sufficient, a visual approach requires VFR conditions.

Well, if it is an uncontrolled airport, the airspace is Class G from 700
feet to the surface, and all you need is 1 mile and clear of clouds for VFR,
right?

Another angle; in class G you can fly IFR without a clearance (as long as
you have an instrument rating). We always cancel IFR as soon as we see the
field and can make it in clear of clouds.

Russ

"Russ MacDonald" wrote in message
news:8byRd.32494$wc.19438@trnddc07...

Well, if it is an uncontrolled airport, the airspace is Class G from 700
feet to the surface, and all you need is 1 mile and clear of clouds for
VFR, right?


Not necessarily. Uncontrolled fields can have controlled airspace beginning
at the surface, at 700' or 1200' above the surface or even higher.



Another angle; in class G you can fly IFR without a clearance (as long as
you have an instrument rating).

In Class G airspace you can fly IFR without a clearance but you need
sufficient room to do so. In areas where the floor of Class E airspace is
1200' AGL or lower there's no room to do so.



We always cancel IFR as soon as we see the field and can make it in clear
of clouds.


Clear of clouds may not be good enough. Assuming you haven't been cleared
for an approach, the moment you cancel you're in controlled airspace without
an IFR clearance so VFR cloud clearance requirements will apply.

"Russ MacDonald" wrote in
news:8byRd.32494$wc.19438@trnddc07:

Well, if it is an uncontrolled airport, the airspace is Class G from
700 feet to the surface, and all you need is 1 mile and clear of
clouds for VFR, right?

Not necessarily. Many uncontrolled fields have a Class E surface area,
where the Class E airspace goes all the way to the ground. You need
1000/3 there.

--
Regards,

Stan

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." B. Franklin

"Stan Gosnell" wrote in message
...
"Russ MacDonald" wrote in
news:8byRd.32494$wc.19438@trnddc07:

Well, if it is an uncontrolled airport, the airspace is Class G from
700 feet to the surface, and all you need is 1 mile and clear of
clouds for VFR, right?

Not necessarily. Many uncontrolled fields have a Class E surface area,
where the Class E airspace goes all the way to the ground. You need
1000/3 there.

An UNCONTROLLED field with E airspace to the ground?? Uncontrolled is G
airspace!

"Russ MacDonald" wrote in message
news:kJJRd.38393$uc.8144@trnddc03...

An UNCONTROLLED field with E airspace to the ground?? Uncontrolled is G
airspace!

Yes, there are many uncontrolled fields with Class E surface areas. An
uncontrolled field is one without an operating control tower, it has nothing
to do with airspace.

"Russ MacDonald" wrote in news:kJJRd.38393
$uc.8144@trnddc03:


An UNCONTROLLED field with E airspace to the ground?? Uncontrolled is G
airspace!

An uncontrolled airport is one without a tower. It's not unusual for an
untowered airport to have a Class E surface area.

--
Regards,

Stan

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." B. Franklin

On Mon, 14 Feb 2005 04:53:59 GMT, "Russ MacDonald"
wrote:

Being from Texas, and flying mostly in the Midwest and South, I have never
asked for nor had any need for a contact approach. If I see the runway I
tell the controller, and he gives me a visual. In fact, I can't remember
ever hearing a contact approach requested around here.

Then, I whenever I fly into the Northeast and I hear contact approaches
being requested regularly. Why is the contact approach used so much in the
Northeast?


Probably because we don't meet the requirements for a visual approach
which, in addition to having the airport or preceding traffic in sight,
also require reported weather at the destination airport of at least
1000/3.


Ron (EPM) (N5843Q, Mooney M20E) (CP, ASEL, ASES, IA)