IFR student: circling approach struggles

All through my primary training I learned never to turn more than 30
degree bank in the pattern, and keep that ball centered. For four
years and about 230 hours I've flown by that doctrine.

Now I'm doing instrument and on circling approaches I'm learning that to
keep it close enough in on downwind and still get it around to final
lined up, I have to bank pretty steeply and sometimes even do slipping
turns to final. Plus I'm starting from an altitude about 400-500 feet
lower than the pattern altitude I am used to. so suddenly I am being
called upon to do steep turns in the pattern, sometimes uncoordinated,
and significantly lower than I usually fly patterns. I'm find it hard
to unlearn and as a result my circling approaches are all overshooting
final. So far I have always been able to get back to it while staying
coordinated and land with plenty of runway left. I'm finding myself
having an easier time doing that than banking more than 30 degrees in a
slip while only 300-400 feet AGL.

Did other IFR pilots have this difficulty in training and if so how did
you overcome it. Right now my plan is to go up to altitude and practice
slipping turns and just work at it with my instructor.

"xyzzy" wrote in message
...


Now I'm doing instrument and on circling approaches I'm learning that to
keep it close enough in on downwind and still get it around to final lined
up, I have to bank pretty steeply and sometimes even do slipping turns to
final.

It might help to give up the base leg and just make a 180 turn from
downwind.

Michael

If you are having problems with turn radius you need to slow down. The
turns should be coordinated and if you are slipping (not enough rudder) that
will widen your turns too. Radius of turn at 80kts and 30 deg bank is 973'
which means that you need less than a third of a nm to make a 180. This
should not be a problem as no IAP that I have seen has a circling vis
minimium less than that. Remember that turn radius goes up as the square of
the speed. Slow down.

Mike
MU-2


"xyzzy" wrote in message
...
All through my primary training I learned never to turn more than 30
degree bank in the pattern, and keep that ball centered. For four years
and about 230 hours I've flown by that doctrine.

Now I'm doing instrument and on circling approaches I'm learning that to
keep it close enough in on downwind and still get it around to final lined
up, I have to bank pretty steeply and sometimes even do slipping turns to
final. Plus I'm starting from an altitude about 400-500 feet lower than
the pattern altitude I am used to. so suddenly I am being called upon to
do steep turns in the pattern, sometimes uncoordinated, and significantly
lower than I usually fly patterns. I'm find it hard to unlearn and as a
result my circling approaches are all overshooting final. So far I have
always been able to get back to it while staying coordinated and land with
plenty of runway left. I'm finding myself having an easier time doing
that than banking more than 30 degrees in a slip while only 300-400 feet
AGL.

Did other IFR pilots have this difficulty in training and if so how did
you overcome it. Right now my plan is to go up to altitude and practice
slipping turns and just work at it with my instructor.

Hmmm good point, my instructor has been on me to keep the downwind
tight, maybe I'm making it too tight. And also probably not rolling
into the 30 degree bank fast enough.

slipping slowing down the turn, instructor sez to steepen the bank
and slip, because I am also rolling out on final too high.

Mike Rapoport wrote:

If you are having problems with turn radius you need to slow down. The
turns should be coordinated and if you are slipping (not enough rudder) that
will widen your turns too. Radius of turn at 80kts and 30 deg bank is 973'
which means that you need less than a third of a nm to make a 180. This
should not be a problem as no IAP that I have seen has a circling vis
minimium less than that. Remember that turn radius goes up as the square of
the speed. Slow down.

Mike
MU-2


"xyzzy" wrote in message
...

All through my primary training I learned never to turn more than 30
degree bank in the pattern, and keep that ball centered. For four years
and about 230 hours I've flown by that doctrine.

Now I'm doing instrument and on circling approaches I'm learning that to
keep it close enough in on downwind and still get it around to final lined
up, I have to bank pretty steeply and sometimes even do slipping turns to
final. Plus I'm starting from an altitude about 400-500 feet lower than
the pattern altitude I am used to. so suddenly I am being called upon to
do steep turns in the pattern, sometimes uncoordinated, and significantly
lower than I usually fly patterns. I'm find it hard to unlearn and as a
result my circling approaches are all overshooting final. So far I have
always been able to get back to it while staying coordinated and land with
plenty of runway left. I'm finding myself having an easier time doing
that than banking more than 30 degrees in a slip while only 300-400 feet
AGL.

Did other IFR pilots have this difficulty in training and if so how did
you overcome it. Right now my plan is to go up to altitude and practice
slipping turns and just work at it with my instructor.

xyzzy wrote:

Hmmm good point, my instructor has been on me to keep the downwind
tight, maybe I'm making it too tight. And also probably not rolling
into the 30 degree bank fast enough.

slipping slowing down the turn, instructor sez to steepen the bank
and slip, because I am also rolling out on final too high.

You can descend during the turn and still keep the turn coordinated.


Matt

Slipping in a turn will greatly increase its radius. That is likely your
problem. There is also no reason that you have to end your 180 aligned with
the runway. You can overshoot to the other side and come back. It is the
same as mountain flying, use turns to lengthen the approach if you need more
distance to descend. Also you might as well fly at least a half mile from
the runway on downwind since you aren't going to be doing this with less
than a mile of vis anyway.

Mike
MU-2

"xyzzy" wrote in message
...
Hmmm good point, my instructor has been on me to keep the downwind tight,
maybe I'm making it too tight. And also probably not rolling into the 30
degree bank fast enough.

slipping slowing down the turn, instructor sez to steepen the bank and
slip, because I am also rolling out on final too high.

Mike Rapoport wrote:

If you are having problems with turn radius you need to slow down. The
turns should be coordinated and if you are slipping (not enough rudder)
that will widen your turns too. Radius of turn at 80kts and 30 deg bank
is 973' which means that you need less than a third of a nm to make a
180. This should not be a problem as no IAP that I have seen has a
circling vis minimium less than that. Remember that turn radius goes up
as the square of the speed. Slow down.

Mike
MU-2


"xyzzy" wrote in message
...

All through my primary training I learned never to turn more than 30
degree bank in the pattern, and keep that ball centered. For four years
and about 230 hours I've flown by that doctrine.

Now I'm doing instrument and on circling approaches I'm learning that to
keep it close enough in on downwind and still get it around to final
lined up, I have to bank pretty steeply and sometimes even do slipping
turns to final. Plus I'm starting from an altitude about 400-500 feet
lower than the pattern altitude I am used to. so suddenly I am being
called upon to do steep turns in the pattern, sometimes uncoordinated,
and significantly lower than I usually fly patterns. I'm find it hard to
unlearn and as a result my circling approaches are all overshooting
final. So far I have always been able to get back to it while staying
coordinated and land with plenty of runway left. I'm finding myself
having an easier time doing that than banking more than 30 degrees in a
slip while only 300-400 feet AGL.

Did other IFR pilots have this difficulty in training and if so how did
you overcome it. Right now my plan is to go up to altitude and practice
slipping turns and just work at it with my instructor.

Mike Rapoport wrote:

Slipping in a turn will greatly increase its radius. That is likely your
problem. There is also no reason that you have to end your 180 aligned with
the runway. You can overshoot to the other side and come back.

That's exactly what I have been doing.

On Sat, 23 Jul 2005 03:55:35 GMT, "Mike Rapoport"
wrote:

Slipping in a turn will greatly increase its radius. That is likely your
problem. There is also no reason that you have to end your 180 aligned with
the runway. You can overshoot to the other side and come back. It is the
same as mountain flying, use turns to lengthen the approach if you need more
distance to descend. Also you might as well fly at least a half mile from
the runway on downwind since you aren't going to be doing this with less
than a mile of vis anyway.


Turns need to be coordinated until within 30 degrees of the final
heading. (I left my FARs/AIM out in the shop) and as I recall you
need to maintain MDA until within 30 degrees of the runway. At that
point if the runway is relatively short I resort to a slipping turn to
lose altitude in a hurry.. Even if lined up with the runway I'll slip
to the end, unless it's a long runway. Ours are 3000, and 3800 and
all VOR approaches end in a circle to land. GPS 6 and 24 are straight
in.


Mike
MU-2

"xyzzy" wrote in message
...
Hmmm good point, my instructor has been on me to keep the downwind tight,
maybe I'm making it too tight. And also probably not rolling into the 30
degree bank fast enough.

slipping slowing down the turn, instructor sez to steepen the bank and
slip, because I am also rolling out on final too high.

Normally you wouldn't be flying a down wind, base and final at most
uncontrolled airports and you can start your descent within 30 degrees
of the runway heading rather than rolling out lined up with the
runway. OTOH this does take practice and the AIM cautions that the
"circle to land" takes extra proficiency as you are maneuvering close
to the ground.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com


Mike Rapoport wrote:

If you are having problems with turn radius you need to slow down. The
turns should be coordinated and if you are slipping (not enough rudder)
that will widen your turns too. Radius of turn at 80kts and 30 deg bank
is 973' which means that you need less than a third of a nm to make a
180. This should not be a problem as no IAP that I have seen has a
circling vis minimium less than that. Remember that turn radius goes up
as the square of the speed. Slow down.

Mike
MU-2


"xyzzy" wrote in message
...

All through my primary training I learned never to turn more than 30
degree bank in the pattern, and keep that ball centered. For four years
and about 230 hours I've flown by that doctrine.

Now I'm doing instrument and on circling approaches I'm learning that to
keep it close enough in on downwind and still get it around to final
lined up, I have to bank pretty steeply and sometimes even do slipping
turns to final. Plus I'm starting from an altitude about 400-500 feet
lower than the pattern altitude I am used to. so suddenly I am being
called upon to do steep turns in the pattern, sometimes uncoordinated,
and significantly lower than I usually fly patterns. I'm find it hard to
unlearn and as a result my circling approaches are all overshooting
final. So far I have always been able to get back to it while staying
coordinated and land with plenty of runway left. I'm finding myself
having an easier time doing that than banking more than 30 degrees in a
slip while only 300-400 feet AGL.

Did other IFR pilots have this difficulty in training and if so how did
you overcome it. Right now my plan is to go up to altitude and practice
slipping turns and just work at it with my instructor.

Roger wrote:
as I recall you need to maintain MDA until within 30 degrees of the runway.

There is no such requirement. The AIM (5-4-19-f) just says:

Pilots should remain at or above the circling altitude until the aircraft is
continuously in a position from which a descent to a landing on the intended
runway can be made at a normal rate of descent using normal maneuvers.

On an approach like http://204.108.4.16/d-tpp/0507/09390G4.PDF (Ellenville,
NY GPS-4, CTL), the MDA is almost 2000 AGL. No way in heck you'd be able
to land if you waited until you were almost established on final before
going below MDA.

a circling approach for Category A can never have a visibility minimum of less
than 1 s.m.

Mike Rapoport wrote:

If you are having problems with turn radius you need to slow down. The
turns should be coordinated and if you are slipping (not enough rudder) that
will widen your turns too. Radius of turn at 80kts and 30 deg bank is 973'
which means that you need less than a third of a nm to make a 180. This
should not be a problem as no IAP that I have seen has a circling vis
minimium less than that. Remember that turn radius goes up as the square of
the speed. Slow down.

Mike
MU-2

"xyzzy" wrote in message
...
All through my primary training I learned never to turn more than 30
degree bank in the pattern, and keep that ball centered. For four years
and about 230 hours I've flown by that doctrine.

Now I'm doing instrument and on circling approaches I'm learning that to
keep it close enough in on downwind and still get it around to final lined
up, I have to bank pretty steeply and sometimes even do slipping turns to
final. Plus I'm starting from an altitude about 400-500 feet lower than
the pattern altitude I am used to. so suddenly I am being called upon to
do steep turns in the pattern, sometimes uncoordinated, and significantly
lower than I usually fly patterns. I'm find it hard to unlearn and as a
result my circling approaches are all overshooting final. So far I have
always been able to get back to it while staying coordinated and land with
plenty of runway left. I'm finding myself having an easier time doing
that than banking more than 30 degrees in a slip while only 300-400 feet
AGL.

Did other IFR pilots have this difficulty in training and if so how did
you overcome it. Right now my plan is to go up to altitude and practice
slipping turns and just work at it with my instructor.