contact approach

[Kream926]

all you cfi's out there, whats an easy way to explain a contact approach. i know of one diffrence between that and a visual app. is that a visual needs 1000 and 3 where as a contact is 1 clear of clouds. is that is?

 

[mayday1]

also, ATC cannot assign a contact approach.. it must be requested by the PIC. Visual approaches can be assigned by ATC when a pilot has either the runway in sight, or preceding traffic in sight.

 

[nosehair]

Another subtle difference is, while on a visual you must have the airport or preceding airplane in sight, on a contact, you have to "reasonably expect to continue to the airport in 1 mile vis and clear of clouds".

So, you can request a contact when you have known landmarks in sight and it looks like you can visually navigate to the airport.

Source: AIM para 5-5-11 for Visual and 5-5-3 for Contact.

 

[groundpointsix]

Can someone explain to me why we would want to do a contact approach? I had a student ask me the other day and I couldn't come up with a good reason. The only semi-reasonable answer I could come up with was if you had an approach with unusually high minimums. Even then it didn't seem like a good idea to me as the minimums are probably that high for a reason.

 

[User546]

Can someone explain to me why we would want to do a contact approach? I had a student ask me the other day and I couldn't come up with a good reason.

Cause there rarely is a good reason! Unless you are very familiar with the airport and surrounding area, it's highly unadvisable to do a contact approach with marginal weather!

Think of it as a trump card to get you in when nothing else is working!

 

[Lead Sled]

I guess that one way to explain the difference visual and contact approaches would be roughly the difference between VFR and Special VFR. Are they useful? At times they can be, I know that there have been some cases where they have allowed us to safely expidite our arrival.

You guys need to be careful about just how and when you tell the ATC folks that you have the field in sight. On more than one occasion I've been in conditions where we had the field in sight, but due to prevailing conditions, it was doubtful that we would have been able to keep it in sight. ATC often assumes that if you tell them that you've got the field or the traffic that you're following you'll be able to keep it (them) in sight. Don't tell them that unless you are comfortable and prepared for a visual approach clearance. Once, I was IMC, being vectored to the airport when approach asked me if I could see the airport. Like a dummy, I could see it through a break the clouds so I told him that. His response, "Cleared for a visual approach, radar services terminated, frequency change approved, advise cancellation on this frequency or via flight service. Talk to you guys later." Not a good thing! It may have been possible to get a contact approach to work out under those conditions, but no way would a visual have worked. It was my fault and I should have known better.

'Sled

 

[minitour]

How about at an uncontrolled field with no approved IAP? You've got 2 miles in snow so you can't take the visual, but you've got the field in sight?

-mini

 

[EatSleepFly]

You can't make a contact approach to an airport with no published IAP. Also, if I remember right, you can't do a contact approach to an airport that doesn't have weather reporting. I seem to remember trying it once...and then having to figure out later why the controller denied my request. Doh!

 

[minitour]

You can't make a contact approach to an airport with no published IAP. Also, if I remember right, you can't do a contact approach to an airport that doesn't have weather reporting. I seem to remember trying it once...and then having to figure out later why the controller denied my request. Doh!

Gotcha!

I try not to remember the Contact Approach thing...I figure if weather is that low, I'm either driving or going to my alternate's alternate alternate...whatever works out

ooh ooh...

How about if they have an IAP, but the station is out of service...like...an NDB approach, but the beacon is under mx...so obviously no approach...2sm...field in sight...?

 

[EatSleepFly]

Are you SURE it's not 3sm??? The AIM does say "reasonable assurance."

j/k...

 

[Flechas]

haha like IAH, the wind is always from the east at 10 Kts

 

[User546]

Quoted from the Pilot/Controller Glossary:

"An approach in which an aircraft on an IFR flight plan, having an ATC authorization, operationg CLEAR OF CLOUDS, with at least 1SM FLIGHT VISIBILITY, and a reasonable expectation of continuing to the destination airport in those conditions, may deviate from the IAP and proceed to the destination airport by visual reference to the surface. This approach will only be authorized WHEN REUEST BY THE PILOT, and the reported GROUND VISIBILTY at the destination airport is atleast 1SM."

 

[EatSleepFly]

deleted

 

[A Squared]

Can someone explain to me why we would want to do a contact approach? I had a student ask me the other day and I couldn't come up with a good reason. The only semi-reasonable answer I could come up with was if you had an approach with unusually high minimums. Even then it didn't seem like a good idea to me as the minimums are probably that high for a reason.

Here's an example of when it's useful: Beautiful clear day , you can see the airport from 20 miles out.... except there's a low layer sneaking in from the bay. Official weather is 005 broken, but it's just covering about a 1 /3 of the field, the rest of the airport, including approach end and touchdown zone of the runway in use is in the sunshine. You can't get a visual, because the Wx is below basic VFR, but getting a contact approach will get you around flying a full procedure in bluebird clear conditions all the way to touchdown, never coming close to a cloud.

Another example: Ground blizzard on a clear day. Reported vis is 1-1/2, yet you can see the airport from a long way away. It's just blowing snow, which is generally only 100 ft thick or so, but it does reduce visibility. Again, why fly a full procedure in clear blue skies? Once you get down in it, the visibility goes to he11, and that's certainly something to consider, but that all happens below MDA, regardless of whether you got to that point by following an IAP or just flying a normal traffic pattern.

THe contact approach is a tool, and just like any other tool, you can use it to help you get the job done efficiently, or you can use it to chop off fingers. It depends on how you use it.

 

[bafanguy]

AxA,

Sounds like your ops specs allowed you to make contact approaches...ours specifically prohibited it.

 

[A Squared]

AxA,

Sounds like your ops specs allowed you to make contact approaches...ours specifically prohibited it.

Yeah, they do. They could probably be best described as "enough rope..."

 

[THE Flying Ace]

Another good situation to use the Contact Approach is when the clouds are just at the lowest altitude that approach will allow you to descend. You are breaking in and out of the clouds but they will not let you lower. I have just asked for a contact approach when you are clear of the clouds with the mile or greater of vis and descended 500 feet and was clear and a million. Fly straight to the airport and land. Of course, others have made it clear that you better be familiar with the surrounding terrain around the airport and I agree with that.

Also in Canada I have heard several times guys asking for and doing contact approaches when the weather was skunky. Of course those guys fly into the same airport ten thousand times a day.

 

[bafanguy]

Yeah, they do. They could probably be best described as "enough rope..."

...lol...I hear ya !!

 

[Swerpipe]

Best example of contact approach

The weather at the field is less than 1000-3 (therefore ATC can not issue a visual approach). You do not want to fly the full procedure. For instance you have the airport in sight and you are on a wide down wind. The vis is 2 miles. You say "airport in sight requesting contact approach" "cleared contact approach contact tower..." I think intimate knowledge of the airport and surroundings is a must otherwise, fly the procedure.

 

[Vector4fun]

I've done them when there was some night ground fog only about 20-30' thick. Could see the runway lights from 5 miles away on downwind for the Loc, but surface vis was only a mile or a bit more. As others said, probably not wise unless you know the airport/area well.